Priming, recognition and autonomic discrimination in amnesia

Abstract

Six individuals with amnesia and matched healthy controls participated. There were two objectives. First, determine whether physiological activity at encoding relates to whether a word shows autonomic priming or is recognized. Second, propose a model for understanding relationships between recognition and autonomic priming. In amnesics, ‘unrecognized’ words were associated with better autonomic discrimination and lower levels of physiological activity at encoding. In healthy participants and amnesics, ‘recognized’ words were associated with poorer autonomic priming and higher levels of physiological activity at encoding. A state-dependent, activation-fractionation-inhibition model is proposed involving an orienting response elicited by preference and search and modulated by underlying memory strength.

Keywords:

• Priming
• Autonomic discrimination
• Orienting response
• Amnesia
• Awareness
• Electrodermal
• Heart rate
• Recognition
• Implicit memory

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The first author wishes to acknowledge the support provided by the ORS Award, (Committee of Vice Chancellors, UK), a University of Manchester, Postgraduate Studentship Award and the Department of Psychology. The authors also wish to acknowledge the editorial support of Joseph E. Mosley and Amy C. Moors.