The subjective organization of input and output events in memory

In order to study the organization of memory for self-performed actions, 80 participants were presented with 20 action phrases for ten consecutive stu dy-test cycles. Enactment was manipulated both in the input phase and in th e output phase by having participants say or enact the phrases during encod ing and/or during testing. Enactment at input or output generally enhanced both the quantity and the accuracy of recall and also improved output monit oring. More important, subjective organization, as indexed by the tendency to recall the same two phrases successively across repeated recall tests, w as significant for all conditions, even on the first pair of trials, and in creased systematically with repeated study-test cycles. Enactment neither i mpaired nor enhanced the amount of organization, and in all conditions a po sitive correlation was obtained between recall and subjective organization. Some commonalities in the nature of memory organization were found across all conditions. The results suggest that enactment may lead to more differe ntiated memory traces, resulting in more accurate recall. Although subjecti ve organization was clearly observed when enactment was involved, its contr ibution to the enhancement of recall deserves further examination.