Fuzzy Trace Theory: A Literature Review

In cognitive psychology, the Activation/ Monitoring Theory (AMT) and the Fuzzy Trace Theory (FTT) are framework’s which account for the false memory findings in the DRM paradigm. Roediger & McDermott (1995) define false memories as “...either remembering events that never happened, or remembering them quite differently from the way they happened...”. The Activation Monitoring Theory is a well used theoretical explanation of the DRM paradigm. According to Roediger et al, 2001 (as cited in Sergi, Senese, Pisani & Nigro, 2004) the AMT suggests that false memories are due to a combination of two processes: these include spreading activation and a controlled monitoring process. Another theory that can account for the DRM paradigm is the Fuzzy Trace
As briefly discussed earlier, the AMT consists of two critical sets of processes: the activation process and the monitoring process. In reviewing the literature, it was found that even though there is a natural association between activation to encoding and monitoring to retrieval; potentially both processes (activation and monitoring) can take place during encoding as well as retrieval (Roediger, Watson, McDermott & Gallo, 2001).In addition, Roediger, et al (2001) explains that by studying words connected to the lure; this connection activates the lures representation within semantic memory. As a consequence, on a subsequent memory test; participants have a greater probability of attributing errors to that lure. Although a key mechanism in the AMT is activation to encoding, the theory also focuses upon retrieval processes. Johnson & Raye, (1981) defined a process called reality monitoring; this is where the primary goal is to be able to distinguish between information bought to consciousness, that may be a perception of past events, from that which does not. For instance an example of this would be a participant thinking: “Did I hear sleep, or does it seem familiar for some other reason” (Roediger & McDermott, 2000, p. 126). (CONCLUDING
In support of this notion, Hicks et al., (as cited in Sergi et al., 2004) found that during encoding the critical item representation is indirectly activated by the study words affiliated with the critical item; this concept then becomes assimilated into the episodic memory trace. Furthermore , numerous psychologists have admitted that throughout encoding, critical items from DRM lists are activated in an associative network (Hicks et al,