Abstract
Subjects took an implicit memory test in which pairs of unrelated words were flashed briefly and the ability to identify the second word of each pair was measured as a function of prior study. In young subjects, identification was better when the second word had been studied compared to when it had not been studied (word-specific priming). Identification was also better when the two words had been paired at study compared to when they had been studied separately (association-specific priming). In amnesic patients, word-specific priming was normal compared to that in age- and IQ-matched control subjects. Association-specific priming was observed, but it was below normal levels. This outcome suggests that the amnesic dysfunction can encompass priming of new verbal associations but spare priming of existing verbal information.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 53-73 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Cortex |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1994 |
Funding
Acknowledgements. This research was supported by a Medical Research Council Project Grant (G8902677). Preliminary results were presented at the St. Andrews Symposium on "Consciousness and Cognition: Neuropsychological Perspectives" in September, 1990, and at the 20th Annual Meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society in San Diego (Paller and Mayes, 1992). The authors gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of the individuals who participated in these studies, as well as Laird Cermak and Peter Graf for comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience