Recall-to-reject in recognition: Evidence from ROC curves

Dual-process models of recognition assume that recognition judgments are ba sed on a fast-acting familiarity-based process and a slower, more accurate, recall-based process. Often, the recall process is assumed to operate as a recall-ro-reject process in which mismatching information that is retrieve d From memory is used to reject test foils that are similar to studied item s. In four experiments, we use receiver operating characteristic curves to evaluate the evidence for a recall-to-reject process in recognition judgmen ts. Recall-to-reject emerged in item recognition and was especially apparen t when participants were explicitly told that it was an appropriate strateg y. Recall-to-reject also emerged in associative-recognition tasks in which sufficient time was allowed for a recall process to contribute to the recog nition judgments. (C) 2000 Academic Press.