Does the similarity and category of distractors during learning influence object memory?

Abstract

In this study using the incidental-learning paradigm, we examine the relationships between object category at encoding and object memory performance and how the relationships change depending on the presentation context of target objects. The results suggest that, compared to both functional and basic categories, memory performance for superordinate categories was influenced by task context. Moreover, memory performance for functional and basic categories was higher than for superordinate categories in conditions where distractor and target objects were from different categories. These results indicate that, although functional categories are abstract in nature, they are less influenced by context because they are core concepts in the representation of artificial objects. This study elucidates the concept of function and highlights the importance of contextual information when investigating the conceptual processing of objects.