Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Alberta, 2009. / "A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta." Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on August 31, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 127-133).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (doctoral) - Universitat, Munster, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-227).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Queensland, 2003. / Copy missing chapter 1. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S. in computer engineering)--Washington State University, August 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-84).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis investigates source memory for performed and observed actions in recall and recognition tasks. The motor simulation account predicts that motor activation during action observation results in source misattributions of observed actions as self-performed. Alternatively, source judgements at test may be based on the evaluation of source features (source monitoring framework) or memory strength (relative strength account). Experiments 1, 2 and 3 in Chapter 2 test if the motor simulation account explains false memories of self-performance after observation. Interfering with participants’ ability to encode the motor trace during observation does not reduce participants’ propensity to falsely recall observed actions as performed, but increases it. Experiment 4 in Chapter 3 manipulates motor and visual interference at retrieval. Participants’ false recognition of observed actions as performed and performed actions as observed is not significantly affected by motor or visual interference. Experiments 5, 6 and 7 in Chapter 4 test if participants are better able to discriminate performed and observed actions if they generate the idea for the action they perform themselves. Participants’ source discrimination in a recall task improves if they generate the ideas for self-performed actions (Experiment 5 and 6), only if they do not also generate ideas for actions they observe (Experiment 7). Experiment 8 in Chapter 5 manipulates participants’ visual perspective of actions they observe. There is no evidence for a significant effect of visual perspective during observation on subsequent false memories of self-performance in a recognition paradigm. In my thesis I find no substantial support for a motor simulation account. While the results are broadly compatible with the source monitoring framework, model-based analyses show that participants’ performance may be based on items’ overall strength, in line with the relative strength account, rather than evaluation of source features.

Memory binding is a cognitive process that enables complex objects to be stored or retrieved coherently during perception, learning, or action. Binding functions are aimed at reducing the misattribution of the features of objects in crowded and changing sensory contexts, ensuring accurate representation in visual working memory. Binding is a relatively new concept in working memory research. However, as an integrative function it provides a rich context in which to investigate the mechanisms underlying memory deterioration. In this PhD project, a range of experimental temporary binding paradigms were used to investigate whether some of the memory impairments observed in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease could be accounted for by deficits in this memory function. A set of neuropsychological tasks were used to investigate binding operations across memory domains (i.e., verbal and nonverbal), sensory modalities (i.e., visual and auditory), types of information (e.g., objects and colours), and retrieval processes (i.e., recognition and recall) in healthy individuals, Alzheimer’s Disease patients and other clinical populations. The results suggest that the efficiency of short-term memory to store bound complex events depends on the nature of the information presented (e.g., type of information bound into objects) (Chapter 2). Short-term memory seems to be equipped with relatively separate mechanisms to store integrated objects and individual features (Chapter 4). It was also observed that the binding properties of short-term memory apply to healthy young and older people, and are functions which are preserved in the elderly (Chapter 3). In two additional experimental chapters (5 and 6) the preserved binding abilities of older people were compared with temporary binding in Alzheimer’s Disease. The latter group showed a very large impairment in binding that was distinct from their impairments in memory for individual features. These findings suggest that memory binding tasks could reliably separate the cognitive changes in normal ageing from those linked with Alzheimer’ Disease. Moreover, the results of Chapter 7 suggested that memory binding tasks may detect memory changes in people that will develop Alzheimer’ Disease (i.e., asymptomatic carriers of the gene defect E280A of the Preseniline-1 gene) almost 10 years before the average age of onset. These results are relevant to our understanding of short-term memory and to the memory models currently available. Finally, it is suggested that the constructs of memory binding may increase the sensitivity of current assessment procedures for people at risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.