More evidence against the Spinozan model: Cognitive load diminishes memory for "true" feedback.

More evidence against the Spinozan model: Cognitive load diminishes memory for "true" feedback.
Mem Cognit. 2019 Jun 18;:
Authors: Nadarevic L, Erdfelder E
Abstract
We tested two competing models on the memory representation of truth-value information: the Spinozan model and the Cartesian model. Both models assume that truth-value information is represented with memory "tags," but the models differ in their coding scheme. According to the Cartesian model, true information is stored with a "true" tag, and false information is stored with a "false" tag. In contrast, the Spinozan model proposes that only false information receives "false" tags. All other (i.e., untagged) information is considered as true by default. Hence, in case of cognitive load during feedback encoding, the latter model predicts a load effect on memory for "false" feedback, but not on memory for "true" feedback. To test this prediction, participants studied trivia statements (Experiment 1) or nonsense statements that allegedly represented foreign-language translations (Experiment 2). After each statement, participants received feedback on the (alleged) truth value of the statement. Importantly, half of the participants experienced cognitive load during feedback processing. For the trivia statements of Experiment 1, we observed a load effect on memory for both "false" and "true" feedback. In contrast, for the nonsense statements of Experiment 2, we found a load effec...

Source: Memory and Cognition - June 21, 2019 Category: Neuroscience Tags: Mem Cognit Source Type: research