Recognition Memory is Fundamentally Continuous, and Strategic Discretization Does Not Change This

Abstract

Recognition memory research has long focused on whether it is mediated by discrete or continuous processes. Recent research has shown that the picture is more complex. Recognition memory is not continuous or discrete, but may be treated as either, depending on a confluence of internal and external factors. This strategic discretization assumes that the memory signal available to the decision makers is fundamentally continuous, but this has not been empirically supported. Experiment 1 tested this assumption and found that recognition memory is fundamentally continuous. Experiment 2 was designed to test whether strategic discretization changes this signal from continuous to discrete and found that it did not. The results of these studies further solidifies the understanding of how recognition memory is mediated, and also suggests future directions for answering important, applied questions.