Attentional Boost Effect In Picture-picture Pairs Associative Memory

Attention Boost Effect(ABE)refers to the phenomenon that background stimuli presented at the same time with targets during a target detection task are better remembered than background stimuli presented at the same time with distractors in the dual-task situation where the target detection task and the encoding task are performed simultaneously.Target detection can consistently boost item memory,but its effects on associative forms of memory have not yet been concluded.Item-item association is one of the most important types of bindings,however,previous studies have paid little attention to whether target detection can facilitate item-item pairs connections,therefore,the relationship between item-item pairs associative memory and the ABE remains unclear.This study used pictures as experimental materials and focused on four aspects of the relationship between image-image pairs relational memory and the ABE.The first study contained two experiments,exploring what were the necessary prerequisites for an ABE in picture-picture pairs associative memory? In Experiment 1,we modified the classical ABE paradigm and set two kinds of instructions: intentional association encoding and incidental association encoding.By observing whether ABE can be found in both intentional and incidental association encoding conditions,we can determine whether intentional binding encoding was one of the preconditions.Experiment 2 was based on experiment 1,by changing the presentation times of image-image pairs from 3times to 1 time,and set the presentation time as 1.2s,2.4s and 3.6s respectively to determine whether the presentation time of the picture pairs was one of the preconditions.The second study contained one experiment to investigate the facilitating nature of ABE in picture-picture pairs associative memory,experiment 3 used the "new baseline" paradigm,the associative recognition performance was compared between the three conditions: target detection,distractor suppression and blank baseline,and to determine whether the nature of facilitation was absolute facilitation or relative facilitation.The third study consisted of three experiments to examine what ABE manipulation of picture-picture pairs associative memory promoted.By manipulating the type of picture pairs: clear picture pairs vs.blurred picture pairs(Experiment 4),color picture pairs vs.stick figure picture pairs(Experiment 5)and replaced the test materials of the picture pairs in the associative recognition stage with the corresponding semantic label lexical pairs of the pictures(Experiment 6)to test the conceptual association encoding enhancement hypothesis proposed in this study.The fourth study consisted of two experiments to examine what was the source of promotion? Using R/K paradigm(Experiment 7)and process dissociation procedure(Experiment 8),we compared the recollection value and the familiarity value of the target picture pairs and the distractor picture pairs respectively to clarify the contribution of recollection processing and familiarity processing in picture-picture pairs associative memory.Through the above research,this paper had obtained the following results: First,Regardless of intentional association encoding or incidental association encoding,the item recognition of a single image in the picture pairs had a typical ABE,and the size of ABE did not show significant difference under different encoding conditions.However,in the associative recognition of picture pairs,ABE can only be found under the intentional association encoding condition.For item recognition,ABE occured when the image pairs was presented for 1.2s and 2.4s,but ABE disappeared when extending the presentation time to 3.6s.For associative recognition,there was no ABE when image pairs was presented for 1.2s,but ABE occured when the presentation time was extended to 2.4s and 3.6s.Second,there was no significant difference between the recognition scores of target image pairs and blank baseline image pairs,but the recognition scores of distractor image pairs were significantly lower than those of blank baseline image pairs.Third,ABE in associative memory was found under the condition of clear picture pairs,but ABE was not generated under the condition of blurred picture pairs;ABE in associative memory was found in both color and stick figure picture pairs,and there was no significant difference in the size of ABE between them;ABE was still found when the presentation form of test materials were changed into semantic label word pairs of the pictures.Fourth,using R/K paradigm,ABE was found in R response condition,but no ABE was found in K response condition;Using process dissociation procedure,ABE was found in recollection processing condition,but not in familiarity processing condition.Based on the results of our four research,the following conclusions were drawn.First,producing an ABE in picture-picture pairs associative memory required a few prerequisites which included intentional association encoding and the duration of picture-picture pairs must be satisfy certain conditions(e.g.,2.4s and 3.6s).Second,the ABE in picture-picture pairs associative memory was a relative rather than an absolute memory advantage.Third,the attentional boost manipulation enhanced conceptual association encoding instead of fine-grained perceptual association encoding.Lastly,the source of enhancement maybe due to the contribution of recollection rather than familiarity.