An electrophysiological comparison of two indices of recollection

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during the test phases of two modified recognition memory tasks. The study phases for the tasks were identical. In the test phase of the source task, participants made initial old/new judgments to visually presented words and, for each word judged old, indicated in which of two Voices the word had been heard at study. In the test phase of the Remember/Know task, participants again made an initial recognition judgment: but then indicated whether recognition was accompanied or unaccompanied by a "'recollective experience." Consistent with previous findings, two temporally and topographically distinct effects differentiated the ERPs evoked by old words attracting correct source judgments from ERPs to new words. The same two effects, topographically indistinguishable from those in the source task, were found for the Remember/Know task. The findings support the View that recollection defined by accurate source discrimination and recollection defined as the subjective experience of remembering are neurally and functionally equivalent. (C) 1998 Academic Press.