Semester Award Granted

Spring 2025

Submission Date

May 2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Alan Kersten

Abstract

Prior research on recognition memory has utilized static stimuli (e.g., words) to evaluate the time course of retrieval for different types of information —familiarity-based item memory and recollection-based associative memory. The present study investigated this time course in dynamic stimuli. Participants (N = 188) viewed videos at encoding, depicting 64 actors performing unique actions. At test, participants viewed either videos or images presented for short (733 ms) or long durations (1,466 ms). The test item types included old (same actor and action pairing), conjunction (novel pairing of familiar actor and action), new actor (unfamiliar actor, familiar action), and new action events (familiar actor, new action). False alarms to new action items increased when shown as images and to new actor items when shown as videos, suggesting that motion supported the retrieval of specific event components. Reaction times (RTs) were longer for images than videos, indicating that additional time was required to provide correct memory judgments to static stimuli. RTs were also longer for stimuli viewed for short durations compared to longer durations, suggesting additional time was necessary for accurate memory decisions under constrained temporal conditions. A hierarchical exponentially modified Gaussian model revealed distinct patterns in how stimulus type and duration impacted the RT distributions for the different test items. These findings offer insights into how stimulus modality and viewing duration at retrieval differentially impact memory performance and efficiency of retrieval.

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