Components of episodic memory: the contribution of recollection and familiarity

The examination of recognition memory confidence judgements indicates that there are two separate components or processes underlying episodic memory. A model that accounts for these results is described in which a recollectio n process and a familiarity process are assumed to contribute to recognitio n memory performance. Recollection is assumed to reflect a threshold proces s whereby qualitative information about the study event is retrieved, where as familiarity reflects a classical signal-detection process whereby items exceeding a familiarity response criterion are accepted as having been stud ied. Evidence from cognitive, neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies i ndicate that the model is in agreement with the existing recognition result s, and indicate that recollection and familiarity are behaviourally, neural ly and phenomenologically distinct memory retrieval processes.