Retrospective confidence judgements in general-knowledge questions: Magnetoencephalograhy correlates

Memory monitoring processes are online assessments of the quality of our retrieval. Despite their importance for cognition, few studies on episodic memory and perceptual discrimination studied their neural dynamics and reported diverse results. Also, research showed increased theta in correct lexical identifications, but its monitoring was not investigated. We used MEG to study the brain activity underpinning memory monitoring of retrospective confidence judgments. 29 participants answered multiple-choice general knowledge questions and rated the confidence of their choice, while MEG was recorded. Mixed-effect linear models in the averaged single-trial responses showed a marginal difference for high versus low confidence answers in left dorso-parietal and occipital sensors at 260-320 ms after the presentation of alternatives. Signal power analysis in the 400-800 ms time window showed differences in theta band for low versus high confidence hits and miss trials. However, no differences were found for high hits and misses, which may reflect that in terms of monitoring, both answers are equal for participants. These results support the findings of increased theta power for correct semantic identification extending them to the monitoring processes.

A High Speed Redundant IO Bus for Energy Power Controller System

This paper designs and implements a High Speed Redundant IO Bus for Energy Power Controller System. The physical layer adopts multi-point low-voltage differential signal standard. This bus has the characteristics of high real-time, high throughput and easy expansion. The controller communicates with IO module by A/B bus alternately, monitors link status in real time and collects IO module data. Non real time slots can be used to control non real time messages for IO modules such as time synchronizing and memory monitoring. The controller ARM core runs QNX real-time operating system, and transmits the message needed to communicate with IO modules to the FPGA through DMA. After receiving the message, the FPGA parses the message and automatically fills in the CRC check code and frame end flag at the end of the message. When the FPGA receives the data feedback from the IO module, it performs CRC verification. If the verification passes, it fills the corresponding module receiving buffer. Otherwise, it fills the CRC verification error flag in the register of the corresponding IO module to reduce the load of the arm core.

False Memories in Native and Foreign Languages

Human memory is prone to memory errors and distortion. Evidence from studies on cognitive functions in bilinguals indicates that they might be prone to different types of memory errors compared to monolinguals; however, the effect of language in false memories is still understudied. Source monitoring processes required for proper memory functioning, presumably, rely on inhibitory control, which is also heavily utilized by bilinguals. Moreover, it is suggested that thinking in a second language leads to more systematic and deliberate reasoning. All these results lead to expect that bilinguals are more analytical when processing information in their second language overcoming some memory errors depending on the language of information. To test this hypothesis, we run a classical misinformation experiment with an explicit source monitoring task with a sample of Russian–English bilinguals. The language of the misinformation presentation did not affect the degree of the misinformation effect between the Russian and English languages. Source monitoring demonstrated an overall higher accuracy for attributions to the English source over the Russian source. Furthermore, analysis on incorrect source attributions showed that when participants misattributed the sources of false information (English or Russian narrative), they favored the Russian source over the not presented condition. Taken together, these results imply that high proficiency in the second language does not affect misinformation and that information processing and memory monitoring in bilinguals can differ depending on the language of the information, which seems to lead to some memory errors and not others.

Guided Exploration

Many monitoring tools that help developers in analyzing the run-time behavior of their applications share a common shortcoming: they require their users to have a fair amount of experience in monitoring applications to understand the used terminology and the available analysis features. Consequently, novice users who lack this knowledge often struggle to use these tools efficiently. In this paper, we introduce the guided exploration (GE) method that aims to make interactive monitoring tools easier to use and learn. In general, tools that implement GE should provide four support operations on each analysis step: they should automatically (1) detect and (2) highlight the most important information on the screen, (3) explain why it is important, and (4) suggest which next steps are appropriate. This way, tools guide users through their analysis processes, helping them to explore the root cause of a problem. At the same time, users learn the capabilities of the tool and how to use them efficiently. We show how GE can be implemented in new monitoring tools as well as how it can be integrated into existing ones. To demonstrate GE's feasibility and usefulness, we present how we extended the memory monitoring tool AntTracks to provided guided exploration support during memory leak analysis and memory churn analysis. We use these guidances in two user scenarios to inspect and improve the memory behavior of the monitored applications. We hope that our contribution will help usability researchers and developers in making monitoring tools more novice-friendly by improving their usability and learnability.

A Feasibility Study on the Use of the Method of Loci for Improving Episodic Memory Performance in Schizophrenia and Non-clinical Subjects

We investigated the feasibility of a short intervention using the Method of Loci (MoL), a well-known visuospatial mnemonic, to improve episodic memory recall performance in schizophrenia. The MoL training protocol comprised encoding and recall of two lists of items (words and images), a training session and practice with MoL. Then, participants had the opportunity to put into practice the newly learned MoL and were instructed to encode and recall two new lists of items using. This approach was first validated with healthy individuals (N = 71). Subsequently, five individuals with schizophrenia completed the protocol. Improvement in healthy individuals was observed for the word list (Wilcoxon effect size r = 0.15). No significant memory improvement was denoted in the schizophrenia group, possibly due to participants' difficulties using the method efficiently and due to fatigue. The MoL seems to require episodic memory, working memory monitoring and executive functions, making it suboptimal for a population with impairments in all those domains. Future research should examine the use of other strategies, better suited for individuals with cognitive impairments like those found in schizophrenia.

Evidence for an Age-Related Positivity Effect in Metacognitive Confidence Judgments

We examined age differences in metacognitive monitoring of emotionally-valenced stimuli. If older adults (OAs) are more focused on emotionally meaningful goals in late life (Carstensen, 2006), then they should demonstrate attentional and memory biases for positive stimuli over neutral and negative stimuli and, arguably, these cognitive biases should be reflected in their metacognitive judgments of learning. Judgments of learning (JOLs) for memory of positive, negative, and neutral words were collected. Younger adults (YAs) aged 18-23 years and OAs aged 65-90 years (N = 85) studied words in each valence category and made immediate JOLs, followed by a two-alternative forced choice (2AFC) recognition memory task. Analyses of JOLs revealed evidence for a positivity effect (Mather & Carstensen, 2005) in metacognitive confidence for OAs and an emotional salience effect in YAs (Tauber & Dunlosky, 2012; Zimmerman & Kelley, 2010). Predictably, YAs recognized more words than OAs, but valence did not affect number of words recognized and valence did not moderate age differences in recognition memory (p = .055). Memory monitoring as measured by resolution accuracy was equivalent in YAs and OAs (Hertzog & Dunlosky, 2011). Positive affect was higher and negative affect was lower in OAs relative to YAs (Gallant, Spaniol, & Yang, 2019), lending additional evidence to an orientation toward the positive in older adulthood. These results are novel in that they demonstrate an age-related positivity effect that extends beyond the domains of memory and emotion to the domain of metacognitive aging. Discussion will focus on theoretical, methodological, and applied implications.

Reducing False Recognition in the Deese-Roediger/McDermott Paradigm: Related Lures Reveal How Distinctive Encoding Improves Encoding and Monitoring Processes

In the Deese-Roediger/McDermott (DRM) paradigm, distinctive encoding of list items typically reduces false recognition of critical lures relative to a read-only control. This reduction can be due to enhanced item-specific processing, reduced relational processing, and/or increased test-based monitoring. However, it is unclear whether distinctive encoding reduces false recognition in a selective or global manner. To examine this question, participants studied DRM lists using a distinctive item-specific anagram generation task and then completed a recognition test which included both DRM critical lures and either strongly related lures (Experiment 1) or weakly related lures (Experiment 2). Compared to a read-control group, the generate groups showed increased correct recognition and decreased false recognition of all lure types. We then estimated the separate contributions of encoding and retrieval processes using signal-detection indices. Generation improved correct recognition by both increasing encoding of memory information for list words and by increasing memory monitoring at test. Generation reduced false recognition by reducing the encoding of memory information and by increasing memory monitoring at test. The reduction in false recognition was equivalent for critical lures and related lures, indicating that generation globally reduces the encoding of related non-presented items at study (not just critical lures), while globally increasing list-theme-based monitoring at test.