Thomas D. Wickens

Examining the Spacing Effect in Advertising: Encoding Variability, Retrieval Processes, and Their Interaction

Recall of print material benefits from spacing repetitions of that material, an effect often attributed to varied encodings induced by changes in contextual cues. We examined an alternative explanation: retrieving earlier presentations during later presentations strengthens memory traces, the more so the greater the difficulty of such retrieval. In four experiments we found that (a) study-phase retrieval contributes to the benefits of spacing and (b) inducing variation via changes in ad formatting and content can be counterproductive at long spacing intervals, apparently because such changes decrease the likelihood that earlier presentations will be retrieved during later presentations. (c) 2005 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..

Emotion and Prejudice: Specific Emotions Toward Outgroups

This research draws on ideas about emotion-related appraisal tendencies to generate and test novel propositions about intergroup emotions. First, emotion elicited by outgroup category activation can be transferred to an unrelated stimulus (incidental emotion effects). Second, people predisposed toward an emotion are more prejudiced toward groups that are likely to be associated with that emotion. Discussion focuses on the implications of the studies for a more complete understanding of the nature of prejudice, and specifically, the different qualities of prejudice for different target groups.

Superadditive Memory Strength for Item and Source Recognition: The Role of Hierarchical Relational Binding in the Medial Temporal Lobe

Source memory depends on our ability to recollect contextual information--such as the time, place, feelings, and thoughts associated with a past event. It is acknowledged that the medial temporal lobe (MTL) plays a critical role in binding such episodic features. Yet, controversy exists over the nature of MTL binding--whether it contributes specifically to source recollection or whether it contributes equally to both item familiarity and source recollection. To resolve this issue, the authors propose that the MTL acts to bind contextual features through a process of hierarchical relational binding. That is, by way of multiple levels of associative bindings (i.e., bindings of bindings), the MTL links episodic features in a superadditive manner. To account for this binding feature, the authors develop a recognition model that includes positively skewed distributions of memory strength. Such skewed distributions can account for many empirical findings and regularities of both item familiarity and source recollection.