Asymmetry between encoding and retrieval processes: Evidence from divided attention and a calibration analysis

Two experiments provide further information on the effects of divided atten tion (DA) on encoding and retrieval processes. The first experiment examine d the effects of decision and motor difficulty of a concurrent reaction tim e task. A calibration analysis was used in the second experiment to test th e hypothesis that shifting attentional emphasis away from encoding to the s econdary task reduces the level of processing the to-be-remembered items re ceive. Overall, the results confirm and extend the conclusions of Craik, Go voni, Naveh-Benjamin, and Anderson (1996) and Naveh-Benjamin, Craik, Guez, and Dori (1998), by pointing to clear differences between encoding and retr ieval processes: Encoding is affected by simultaneous task demands, especia lly those associated with "central" resources involved in conscious decisio n making, whereas retrieval is obligatory in that it is largely immune to t he effects of simultaneous demands. The results of the calibration analysis suggest that one reason for the poorer memory performance as a result of D A at encoding is a qualitative shift to less deep, elaborative strategies.