Abstract
The effect of retrieval enactment on memory for nouns (objects) or verbal phrases describing simple actions (e.g., “lift the box”) was addressed in two experiments. In Experiment 1, the type of object involved in the actions was manipulated, with three different types of object being used (body parts, laboratory-related objects, and external objects). In Experiment 2, the integration between the verb-noun pairs was manipulated (well-integrated vs. poorly integrated). Results from both experiments showed that whereas encoding enactment (motor encoding and verbal test) substantially improved the memory performance compared with a verbal condition (verbal encoding and verbal test), retrieval enactment (verbal encoding and motor test) had no major impact on the number of recalled nouns or phrases. Moreover, there was no additional effect of dual enactment (motor encoding and motor test). The overall pattern of the results suggests that there is a fundamental difference between motor processing at encoding and motor processing at retrieval, and the lack of encoding specificity advantage for the motor modality contradicts the view that encoding enactment of verbal commands results in storage of motor representations.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bäckman, L., &Nilsson, L.-G. (1984). Aging effects in free recall: An exception to the rule.Human Learning,3, 53–69.
Bäckman, L., &Nilsson, L.-G. (1985). Prerequisites for lack of age differences in memory performance.Experimental Aging Research,11, 67–73.
Brooks, B. M., &Gardiner, J. M. (1994). Age differences in memory for prospective compared with retrospective subject-performed tasks.Memory & Cognition,22, 27–33.
Cohen, R. L. (1981). On the generality of some memory laws.Scandinavian Journal of Psychology,22, 267–282.
Cohen, R. L. (1989). Memory for action events: The power of enactment.Educational Psychology Review,1, 57–80.
Engelkamp, J. (1990). Memory of action events and some implications for imagery. In C. Cornoldi & McDaniel (Eds.),Imagery and cognition (pp. 183–219). New York: Springer-Verlag.
Engelkamp, J., &Krumnacker, H. (1980). Imaginale und motorische Prozesse beim Behalten verbalen Materials.Zeitschrift für experimentelle und angewandte Psychologie,27, 511–533.
Engelkamp, J., &Zimmer, H. D. (1984). Motor program information as a separable memory unit.Psychological Research,46, 283–299.
Engelkamp, J., &Zimmer, H. D. (1985). Motor programs and their relation to semantic memory.German Journal of Psychology,9, 239–254.
Helstrup, T. (1986). Separate memory laws for recall of performed acts?Scandinavian Journal of Psychology,27, 1–29.
Kormi-Nouri, R. (1994).The role of integration in memory for enacted and nonenacted events. (Manuscript submitted for publication.)
Norris, M. P., &West, R. L. (1993). Activity memory and aging: The role of motor retrieval and strategic processing.Psychology & Aging,8, 81–86.
Nyberg, L. (1993).The enactment effect: Studies of a memory phenomenon. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Umeå, Sweden.
Nyberg, L., Nilsson, L.-G., &Bäckman, L. (1992). Recall of actions, sentences and nouns: Influence of adult age and passage of time.Acta psychologica,79, 1–10.
Saltz, E. (1988). The role of motoric enactment (M-processing) in memory for words and sentences. In M. M. Gruneberg, P. E. Morris, & R. N. Sykes (Eds.),Practical aspects of memory: Current research and issues (Vol. 1, pp. 408–414). Chichester, U.K.: Wiley.
Saltz, E., &Dixon, D. (1982). Let’s pretend: The role of motoric imagery in memory for sentences and words.Journal of Experimental Child Psychology,34, 77–92.
Tulving, E., &Thomson, D. M. (1973). Encoding specificity and retrieval processes in episodic memory.Psychological Review,80, 353–373.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by a grant to L.-G.N. from the Swedish Council for Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kormi-Nouri, R., Nyberg, L. & Nilsson, LG. The effect of retrieval enactment on recall of subject-performed tasks and verbal tasks. Memory & Cognition 22, 723–728 (1994). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03209257
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03209257