TY - JOUR
T1 - Adaptive memory
T2 - Stereotype activation is not enough
AU - Otgaar, Henry
AU - Smeets, Tom
AU - Merckelbach, Harald
AU - Jelicic, Marko
AU - Verschuere, Bruno
AU - Galliot, Anne-Marie
AU - van Riel, Laura
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Studies have shown that survival processing leads to superior memorability. The aim of the present study was to examine whether this survival recall advantage might result from stereotype activation. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a pilot study and two experiments in which participants were primed with stereotypes (Experiment 1, professor and elderly person; Experiment 2, survival-stereotype). In Experiment 1, 120 undergraduates were randomly assigned to a survival, professor stereotype, elderly person stereotype, or moving scenario and rated words for their relevance to the imagined scenario. In Experiment 2, 75 undergraduates were given a survival, survival-stereotype (based on our pilot study), or moving scenario. Both experiments showed that survival processing leads to a greater recall advantage over the stereotype groups and control group. These data indicate that the mere activation of stereotypes cannot explain the survival recall advantage.
AB - Studies have shown that survival processing leads to superior memorability. The aim of the present study was to examine whether this survival recall advantage might result from stereotype activation. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a pilot study and two experiments in which participants were primed with stereotypes (Experiment 1, professor and elderly person; Experiment 2, survival-stereotype). In Experiment 1, 120 undergraduates were randomly assigned to a survival, professor stereotype, elderly person stereotype, or moving scenario and rated words for their relevance to the imagined scenario. In Experiment 2, 75 undergraduates were given a survival, survival-stereotype (based on our pilot study), or moving scenario. Both experiments showed that survival processing leads to a greater recall advantage over the stereotype groups and control group. These data indicate that the mere activation of stereotypes cannot explain the survival recall advantage.
U2 - 10.3758/s13421-011-0091-2
DO - 10.3758/s13421-011-0091-2
M3 - Article
VL - 39
SP - 1033
EP - 1041
JO - Memory & Cognition : A Journal of the Psychonomic Society
JF - Memory & Cognition : A Journal of the Psychonomic Society
SN - 0090-502X
IS - 6
ER -