Comparing techniques for estimating automatic retrieval: effects of retention interval

Results from implicit memory (IM) tasks suggest that automatic retrieval remains stable or decreases over time. In contrast, results from the process dissociation approach (PDA) suggest that automatic retrieval may actually increase over time. One explanation for these discrepant results is that performance on IM tasks is contaminated by controlled retrieval strategies, thereby overestimating automatic retrieval, particularly at short retention intervals, when controlled retrieval strategies are high. An alternative explanation is that automatic and controlled retrieval are positively correlated, rather than independent as assumed by the PDA. If so, the PDA would underestimate automatic retrieval, particularly when controlled retrieval strategies are high. Results from a speeded IM task suggest that a standard IM task provided an accurate estimate of automatic retrieval, whereas the PDA underestimated automatic retrieval at a short retention interval. This pattern of underestimation by the PDA supports the conclusion that automatic and controlled retrieval were positively correlated rather than independent.