Appraising the contributions of visual imagery and verbal ability in facilitating the survival processing memory advantage.

Abstract

The current study explored the mnemonic survival processing advantage in order to asses the extent to which visual imagery and verbal ability influence our information processing faculties. One hundred participants took part in an auxiliary memory test after rating items in one of four processing conditions (Grasslands; Scottish highlands; QMU/threatening; and QMU/non-threatening). Post-test measures relating to the rating task were also taken. Results suggested that both non-QMU scenarios were associated with superior rates of recall. The data indicated that neither schematic familiarity nor survival threat significantly influenced recall performance. Differences between the QMU and non-QMU processing scenarios suggest that the mnemonic advantage often observed in survival relevant processing scenarios are more profound than a simple response mechanism to existential threat. The data is used to explore the potential proximations between underlying mechanisms and the processing advantage.