DISSOCIATIONS AMONG IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT MEMORY TASKS - THE ROLE OF STIMULUS SIMILARITY

This article compares the effect of picture fragmentation level at stu dy on performance on a variety of implicit and explicit memory tests. Consistent with previous research, a moderately fragmented study pictu re produced the most learning on the implicit memory task of picture f ragment completion (Experiment 1) and speeded picture identification ( Experiment 4). In contrast, an intact study picture produced the most learning on the implicit memory task of naming intact pictures (Experi ment 3). These results suggest that performance on 2 implicit memory t asks can be dissociated by differences in visual similarity between th e study and test forms of a stimulus. More surprising, parallel effect s were observed in recognition memory. Recognition memory was best whe n fragmentation levels of the study and test pictures matched (Experim ent 2) or were comparable (Experiment 1). In contrast to many results in the literature, recognition memory was acutely sensitive to surface form differences. We discuss the results in terms of 2 types of study -test similarity-stimulus similarity and process similarity.