Is survival processing advantageous for recognition memory?

Jeremy K. Miller
Department of Psychology, Willamette University

Abstract Methods Results Conclusions

Nairne, Thompson, and Pandeirada (2007) have
proposed that human memory is particularly adapted to
remember survival-relevant information. Further
General Method:
experimentation has demonstrated that participants recall
words that have been rated for their relevance to a
survival situation significantly better than words that have
been studied using a number of effective encoding
Although past research has demonstrated a survival
processing advantage for recall (Nairne & Pandeirada,
Experiment 1 (n=84)
2008; Weinstein, Bugg, & Roediger, 2008), limited
Instructions
100 attention has been given to the survival processing
Survival Scenario:
In this task, we would like you to imagine that you
advantage in the recognition memory literature (although
are stranded in the grasslands of a foreign land,
without any basic survival materials. Over the next
few months, you’ll need to find steady supplies of
90 old see Nairne, Thompson, & Pandeirada, 2007). The current
food and water and protect yourself from predators.

manipulations (Kang, McDermott, & Cohen, 2008;

We are going to show you a list of words, and we
would like you to rate how relevant each of these
words would be for you in this survival situation.
80 new results provide mixed support for the survival processing
Rating Phase
Tim 70
Some of the words may be relevant and others may

Weinstein, Bugg, & Roediger, 2008). The current not—it’s up to you to decide.
RAINDROP advantage in recognition memory.
experiments sought to extend these findings to Rate the word on a scale of 1 to
e 60 • Experiment 1 replicated the survival processing
recognition memory. The results replicate the finding that 5:

participants recognize words studied under survival

Digit recall phase
1=totally irrelevant, 3=somewhat 50 advantage in recognition memory and demonstrated that
related encoding conditions better than words rated
relevant, 5=extremely relevant
5790621 40 the finding is robust for both self-referential ratings and
relative to a travel related scenario. However, contrary to ratings pertaining to the survival of others (Kang,
the results of experiments using recall tests, the results
Input the digits:
30 McDermott, & Cohen, 2008).
Recognition test
do not demonstrate a significant survival processing 20
RAINDROP • Although a slight numeric trend toward the survival
advantage when compared with more powerful encoding
manipulations like self-referential encoding and Was the word on the list?
10 processing advantage was observed in Experiment 2,
pleasantness ratings. The results are discussed in 0 participants who encoded the words using the survival
relation to functionalist theories of human memory scenario did not significantly differ from participants
(Nairne, 2005).
Survival Survival Travel Travel using the burglary or pleasantness encoding instructions.
Self Other Self Other Each of these groups was significantly more accurate than
100 100 the explicit memory group.
Encoding Scenarios: 90 90
Experiment 1 80 80 • Although Nairne, Thompson, and Panderiada’s (2007)
70 o ld 7 0
Introduction 60 o ld
finding that participants are more accurate after survival
Survival Scenario: n ew 60 ratings than ratings related to a travel situation was
What evolutionary function does memory serve? 50

SELF
In this task, we would like you to imagine that you are 50 n ew
Several theorists (Klein, Cosmides, Tooby, & Chance, replicated, this finding did not generalize to several
stranded in the grasslands of a foreign land, without any basic 40 40
2002; Nairne, 2005) have recently suggested that the (potentially stronger) encoding manipulations.
survival materials. Over the next few months, you’ll need to 30 30
diverse functional properties of our memory systems may 20 20 • Unlike in the recall literature, survival processing did not
find steady supplies of food and water and protect yourself
reflect the influence of millions of years of selective 10 10 lead to significantly higher memory performance than for
from predators. We are going to show you a list of words, and

pressure. One prediction generated by this functionalist
approach to the study of human memory is that if
evolution has shaped our memories to prioritize the
retention of some types of information over others, it
follows that we should be particularly likely to remember
fitness relevant information.
Nairne, Thompson, and Pandeirada (2007) reported
evidence supporting this prediction. In their experiments,
participants were exposed to four separate encoding
manipulations. In the survival condition, participants were
OTHER
0 0 participants who rated words for pleasantness, or in
we would like you to rate how relevant each of these words
s u r v iv a l tra v e l s e lf o th e r relation to a burglary scenario. If dissociations between
would be for you in this survival situation. Some of the words
• A 2 (status: old or new) x 2 (encoding condition: travel or recall and recognition continue to be observed, they may
may be relevant and others may not—it’s up to you to decide.
survival) x 2 (subject: self vs. other) mixed factor ANOVA shed light on the evolutionary function of these memory
yielded a significant main effect of status, a significant systems.
Travel Scenario:
SELF interaction between status and encoding condition, and a three
In this task, we would like you to imagine that you are planning
way interaction between status, encoding condition, and
to move to a new home in a foreign land. Over the next few
self/other orientation.
months, you’ll need to locate and purchase a new home and
transport your belongings. We are going to show you a list of Experiment 2 (n=120)
words, and we would like you to rate how relevant each of these Literature cited
OTHER

instructed to imagine themselves stranded in the wild and
asked to rate a set of words based on how relevant each
word was to the survival scenario. Another group of
participants was asked to rate words based on their
relevance to a scenario describing a cross country move.
In the final condition, participants were asked to rate the
same set of words based on how pleasant they felt each of
the words was. Results demonstrated that participants
recalled the words that had been processed for survival
value best.
Kang, McDermott, and Cohen (2008) have
demonstrated that the recall advantage resulting from
processing items for their survival value is robust for self-
referential ratings and ratings pertaining to the survival of
others. Kang and colleagues also introduced a new control
group that was designed to match the levels of arousal
induced in the participants. In this condition participants
1 Kang, S., McDermott, K. B., & Cohen, S. (in press). The mnemonic
words would be for you in accomplishing this task. Some of the
advantage of processing fitness-relevant information. Memory &
words may be relevant and others may not—it’s up to you to Cognition.
0 .9 Old
decide. Klein, S. B., Cosmides, L., Tooby, J., & Chance, S. (2002). Decisions
Encoding Scenarios: Experiment 2 (The New
and the evolution of memory: Multiple systems, multiple
0 .8
functions. Psychological Review, 109, 306–329.
survival scenario from E1 was also included) Nairne, J. S. (2005). The functionalist agenda in memory research. In
0 .7
Burglary Scenario: A. F. Healy (Ed.), Experimental cognitive psychology and its
applications (pp. 115–126). Washington, DC: American
In this task we would like you to imagine that you are leading a 0 .6
Psychological Association.
heist of a well guarded bank. Over the next few months, you'll need Nairne, J. S., Thompson, S. R., & Pandeirada, J. N. S. (2007).
to find people to help you, make a plan, and gather any supplies 0 .5 Adaptive memory: Survival processing enhances retention.
you might need. We are going to show you a list of words, and we Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and
would like you to rate how relevant each of these words would be
0 .4 Cognition, 33, 263–273.
Nairne, J.S., & Pandeirada, J.N.S. (2008). Adaptive memory: Is
for you in accomplishing this task. Some of the words may be survival processing special? Journal of Memory and Language,
0 .3
relevant and others may not—it's up to you to decide. 59, 377–385.
0 .2
Weinstein, Y., Bugg, J. M., & Roediger, H. L. (2008). Can the
Pleasantness Scenario: survival recall advantage be explained by the basic memory
processes? Memory & Cognition, 36, 913–919.
In this task, we are going to show you a list of words, and we would 0 .1

rated study words with respect to their relevance to a like you to rate the pleasantness of each word. Some of the words
scenario in which they were planning a burglary. It was may be pleasant and others may not—it's up to you to decide. 0

demonstrated that the survival processing resulted in • A 2 xS u 4rv ivmixed

al Bu rg la ry Plea sa n t
factor ANOVA revealed main effects of
Ex p licit

better recall performance than the burglary scenario.
Experiments 1 and 2 attempted to replicate and extends
Kang McDermott and Cohen’s findings to recognition
memory.
Explicit Scenario: status, encoding condition, and a significant interaction.
In this task, we are going to show you a list of words, and we would
For further information
like you to remember the words for an upcoming memory test. • Planned comparisons revealed significant differences in Please contact Jeremy Miller: millerj@willamette.edu.
recognition accuracy in the explicit encoding condition, but
Poster presented at the 50th annual meeting of the Psychonomic
none of the other encoding conditions differed significantly
Society.