Derringer Cory J, Scofield John E, Kostic Bogdan
Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Department of Psychology, Missouri State University, 901 S. National Ave., Springfield, MO, 65897, USA.
Mem Cognit. 2017 Aug;45(6):983-1001. doi: 10.3758/s13421-017-0709-0.
Previous work has shown that processing words for their survival value improves memory. If this survival processing effect reflects an evolutionary adaptation in memory, processing words for their reproductive value should also improve memory. Across three experiments, participants rated words for their relevance in reproductive scenarios. In Experiment 1, participants rated adjectives (traits) for their relevance in finding a mate, evaluating a coworker, or in terms of their pleasantness. Mate processing produced better memory than pleasantness ratings, but not coworker processing. In Experiment 2, participants rated traits for their relevance in detecting sexual or emotional infidelity. Neither processing condition produced better memory compared to pleasantness ratings, but there were several unpredicted interactions involving participant sex and jealousy responses. In Experiment 3, participants rated gifts for their appropriateness in a romantic date or a housewarming party, or in terms of their pleasantness. Date processing and housewarming processing both improved recall compared to pleasantness rating, but date processing and housewarming processing did not produce differences compared to each other. Overall, the current study demonstrates very little evidence of a reproductive processing effect, and nothing approaching the magnitude of previous work on the survival processing effect.
先前的研究表明，思考词语的生存价值有助于提高记忆力。如果这种生存加工效应反映了记忆方面的一种进化适应性，那么思考词语的繁殖价值也应该能提高记忆力。在三项实验中，参与者对词语在繁殖场景中的相关性进行评分。在实验1中，参与者对形容词（特质）在寻找伴侣、评估同事方面的相关性或其愉悦程度进行评分。与愉悦程度评分相比，思考伴侣相关的特质能产生更好的记忆效果，但思考同事相关的特质则不然。在实验2中，参与者对特质在发现性或情感不忠方面的相关性进行评分。与愉悦程度评分相比，这两种加工条件都没有产生更好的记忆效果，但存在一些涉及参与者性别和嫉妒反应的意外交互作用。在实验3中，参与者对礼物在浪漫约会或乔迁派对中的适宜性或其愉悦程度进行评分。与愉悦程度评分相比，思考约会相关和乔迁派对相关的礼物都能提高回忆效果，但思考约会相关的礼物和思考乔迁派对相关的礼物之间没有差异。总体而言，当前研究几乎没有证明存在繁殖加工效应的证据，也远不及先前关于生存加工效应的研究规模。
