Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Psychol Rev. 2010 Oct;117(4):1025-54. doi: 10.1037/a0020874.
The dual-process theory of recognition memory holds that recognition decisions can be based on recollection or familiarity, and the remember/know procedure is widely used to investigate those 2 processes. Dual-process theory in general and the remember/know procedure in particular have been challenged by an alternative strength-based interpretation based on signal-detection theory, which holds that remember judgments simply reflect stronger memories than do know judgments. Although supported by a considerable body of research, the signal-detection account is difficult to reconcile with G. Mandler's (1980) classic "butcher-on-the-bus" phenomenon (i.e., strong, familiarity-based recognition). In this article, a new signal-detection model is proposed that does not deny either the validity of dual-process theory or the possibility that remember/know judgments can-when used in the right way-help to distinguish between memories that are largely recollection based from those that are largely familiarity based. It does, however, agree with all prior signal-detection-based critiques of the remember/know procedure, which hold that, as it is ordinarily used, the procedure mainly distinguishes strong memories from weak memories (not recollection from familiarity).
双加工理论的识别记忆认为，识别决策可以基于记忆或熟悉度，而“记得/知道”程序被广泛用于研究这两个过程。一般来说，双加工理论，特别是“记得/知道”程序，受到了基于信号检测理论的替代强度解释的挑战，该解释认为，“记得”判断仅仅反映了比“知道”判断更强的记忆。尽管得到了相当多的研究支持，但信号检测解释很难与 G. 曼德勒（1980）的经典“公车上的屠夫”现象（即强烈的、基于熟悉度的识别）相协调。在本文中，提出了一种新的信号检测模型，该模型既不否认双加工理论的有效性，也不否认“记得/知道”判断可以——当以正确的方式使用时——有助于区分主要基于记忆的记忆和主要基于熟悉度的记忆。然而，它与所有先前基于信号检测的对“记得/知道”程序的批评意见一致，即该程序通常主要区分强记忆和弱记忆（而不是记忆和熟悉度）。
