Do verbal labels bias visual memory?

Poster Session C - Sunday, March 30, 2025, 5:00 – 7:00 pm EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Weifang Huang¹ (huangwei@bc.edu), Maureen Ritchey; ¹Boston College

The words we use can shape what we remember. Previous studies suggest that verbal labels provide a conceptual interpretation for encoded information and direct attention to category-specific features. Because word categories are hierarchical, an object may have multiple possible labels (e.g., latte as 'latte' or 'coffee'), yet how the category level of the label affects memory remains unclear. Our study used a recognition memory paradigm to examine how word category level influences memory for visual details. During the study phase, participants viewed object images that were accompanied by either a specific label (e.g., “Is this a latte?”) or general label (e.g., “Is this a coffee?”). Specific and general labels were rated as similarly well-matched to the object image, and label conditions were counterbalanced across participants. In the test phase, participants viewed old items as well as similar lures from the same specific category and judged whether the images were old or new. For items endorsed as old, they were additionally classified as remembered or familiar to permit calculation of recollection and familiarity estimates. (Generalized) linear mixed effects models were used to analyze the effects of label level on memory performance. Participants showed better target-lure discrimination in the specific label condition, driven by a lower false alarm rate compared to the general label condition. Recollection and familiarity estimates did not differ between conditions. These results suggest that more specific word labels can direct people’s attention to distinctive features during visual encoding, helping them better distinguish targets from lures.

Topic Area: LONG-TERM MEMORY: Episodic