The effects of shifting modality between study and test: a fuzzy-trace theory analysis

Abstract

The present research was designed to test properties of the fuzzy-trace theory memory model. Fuzzy-trace theory is a global memory model that posits that multiple memory traces are formed for every experience. According to the theory there are two functionally distinct types of traces, verbatim and gist, formed for every experience. Besides storing different types of information, these traces are assumed to have different properties and operations. Findings from much of the previous research on this model suggest that perceptual information is a component of the verbatim memory trace. If perceptual information is a component of the verbatim memory trace one would expect shifts in modality between study and test to have an adverse impact on memory tests that rely on the verbatim memory trace for accurate responding. Two experiments were performed to test this prediction. In Experiment 1 study modality was either auditory or visual and testing was visual and instruction was either verbatim or gist. Regardless of instruction, responding did not differ as a function of study modality. In Experiment 2 testing modality was manipulated in addition to the study modality manipulation. Again, there was no modality shift effect. That is, performance did not suffer when study and test modalities differed when compared to consistent modality across study and test. Testing modality did interact with instruction and with probe type separately. It appears that participants may have used a slightly more liberal criterion in the auditory testing condition than in the visual testing condition. Fuzzy-trace theory predictions concerning the effects of instruction and probe type were supported. Differences in responding across experiments in the verbatim instruction condition also suggest that encoding strategies may be important for verbatim memory performance. It is concluded that perceptual information does not play a role in sentence recognition, a task that presumably relies on verbatim memory traces.