Recognition failure, associative relatedness, and recognition memory

Abstract

The encoding-specificity recognition-failure paradigm was employed in four experiments. The materials presented during encoding were identical in all four. These word pairs varied in associative relatedness in an asymmetrical manner. They also varied in level of associative relatedness. As expected, the results showed substantial amounts of recognition failure when the dominant direction of associative relatedness went from cue to target. Very little recognition failure was observed in the target-to-cue associative relatedness condition. These findings are discussed in the context of factors leading to the phenomenon of recognition failure and to the relationship between recall and recognition.