Do different tests of episodic memory produce consistent results in human adults?
Open accessAbstract
A number of different philosophical, theoretical, and empirical perspectives on episodic memory have led to the development of very different tests with which to assess it. Although these tests putatively assess the same psychological capacity, they have rarely been directly compared. Here, a sample of undergraduates was tested on three different putative tests of episodic memory (What-Where-When, Unexpected Question/Source Memory, and Free Recall). It was predicted that to the extent to which these different tests are assessing the same psychological process, performance across the various tests should be positively correlated. It was found that not all tests were related and those relationships that did exist were not always linear. Instead, two tests showed a quadratic relationship, suggesting the contribution of multiple psychological processes. It is concluded that not all putative tests of episodic cognition are necessarily testing the same thing.
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Human performance across different episodic-like memory paradigms is not necessarily related, suggesting that distinct psychological processes may be employed for each.
“Furthermore, human performance across different paradigms is not necessarily related [109], suggesting that distinct psychological processes may be employed for each [107,109,110].”
From Is episodic-like memory <i>like</i> episodic memory? (2024) · cites this paper as [109]
Human episodic memory encompasses a variety of cognitive structures and processes amalgamating into an episodic memory system, and each episodic-like memory paradigm targets a different aspect of this system.
“human episodic memory encompasses a variety of cognitive structures and processes amalgamating into an episodic memory system, and importantly each episodic-like memory paradigm targets a different aspect of this system [85,109].”
From Is episodic-like memory <i>like</i> episodic memory? (2024) · cites this paper as [109]
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- Authors
- Cheke, L. G., & Clayton, N. S.
- Affiliations
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Venue
- Learning & Memory
- Publisher
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
- Published
- 2013-08-16
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 491-498
- ISSN
- 1072-0502 (ISSN-L)
- 1549-5485
- OpenAlex
- W2041591910
- Cited by
- 95
- References
- 69
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 2
- Type
- posted content
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc
- Locations
- Learning & Memory (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Funders
- Girton College, University of Cambridge
- Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Keywords
- episodic memory, test-retest reliability, free recall, source memory, quadratic relationship
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Female, Humans, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Young Adult, Memory, Episodic
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