A test of current explanations of the effect of item familiarity on memory

The effects of item familiarity in memory have been variously ascribed to differences in storage or retrieval efficiency, response availability, and response bias. The experiments reported here attempted to discriminate between these explanations, using a model of the response process based on signal-detection theory. Memory for English surnames varying in frequency of occurrence was tested under free recall and recognition conditions. In both conditions, common names appeared more often among the incorrect responses, reflecting a response bias in their favour; but storage and/or retrieval of these names, as measured by the parameter d', was less efficient than for uncommon ones. The finding of similar results in recognition and recall shows that the effect remains even when differences in response availability are removed by the use of a probe.