To date, relatively little research has investigated participants’ ability to monitor their memory for faces and names. Four experiments were conducted with aim of developing a comprehensive profile of memory monitoring performance during face identification tasks. In each experiment, memory monitoring judgements were solicited during encoding and/or retrieval of unfamiliar face-name pairs. In general, subjective estimates of future and past memory performance were valid predictors of objective memory performance, regardless of whether a face or name was the item to be retrieved from memory. As a test of the stability of memory monitoring accuracy across different categories of stimuli, memory monitoring for face-name pairs was compared with noun-noun pairs. The predictive validity of estimates of future memory performance was similar across the categories of stimuli, but the predictive validity of estimates of past memory performance was superior for nouns compared with names. A subset of the studies examined the influence of face and name distinctiveness on memory and memory monitoring for face-name associations. This was done in an attempt to identify sources of information that individuals might use to monitor their memory during face-name learning. The beneficial effects of distinctiveness on associative memory were symmetrical between faces and names, such that relative to their typical counterparts, distinct faces enhanced memory for names, and distinct names enhanced memory for faces. These effects were also apparent in memory monitoring. Estimates of future and past memory performance were greater for face-name associations that contained a distinct face or name compared with a typical face or name, regardless of whether the distinct item was a cue or target. Moreover, the predictive validity of prospective monitoring improved with name distinctiveness, whereas the predictive validity of retrospective monitoring improved with facial distinctiveness. Altogether, the results of the dissertation indicate that participants can monitor their memory for faces and names at a level above chance, that retrospective metamemory is more accurate for nouns compared with names, and that distinctiveness not only affects the strength of the association between a face and a name, but also the ability to monitor that association.

To date, relatively little research has investigated participants’ ability to monitor their memory for faces and names. Four experiments were conducted with aim of developing a comprehensive profile of memory monitoring performance during face identification tasks. In each experiment, memory monitoring judgements were solicited during encoding and/or retrieval of unfamiliar face-name pairs. In general, subjective estimates of future and past memory performance were valid predictors of objective memory performance, regardless of whether a face or name was the item to be retrieved from memory. As a test of the stability of memory monitoring accuracy across different categories of stimuli, memory monitoring for face-name pairs was compared with noun-noun pairs. The predictive validity of estimates of future memory performance was similar across the categories of stimuli, but the predictive validity of estimates of past memory performance was superior for nouns compared with names. A subset of the studies examined the influence of face and name distinctiveness on memory and memory monitoring for face-name associations. This was done in an attempt to identify sources of information that individuals might use to monitor their memory during face-name learning. The beneficial effects of distinctiveness on associative memory were symmetrical between faces and names, such that relative to their typical counterparts, distinct faces enhanced memory for names, and distinct names enhanced memory for faces. These effects were also apparent in memory monitoring. Estimates of future and past memory performance were greater for face-name associations that contained a distinct face or name compared with a typical face or name, regardless of whether the distinct item was a cue or target. Moreover, the predictive validity of prospective monitoring improved with name distinctiveness, whereas the predictive validity of retrospective monitoring improved with facial distinctiveness. Altogether, the results of the dissertation indicate that participants can monitor their memory for faces and names at a level above chance, that retrospective metamemory is more accurate for nouns compared with names, and that distinctiveness not only affects the strength of the association between a face and a name, but also the ability to monitor that association.

The goal of this dissertation is to examine circumstances that encourage optimal encoding in memory. To accomplish this, several encoding manipulations were examined in the context of intentional forgetting. The typically robust item method directed forgetting effect is attributed to selective rehearsal: Participants intentionally select the Remember items as having priority in memory and rehearse them, at the same time choosing not to rehearse Forget items. A series of new experiments demonstrate that when encoding is already optimal, intentional selection processes are ineffective at improving memory further, thus eliminating directed forgetting. These circumstances must serve to promote differentiation of items in a distinctive context. Distinctiveness is defined as a relatively well-remembered set of items standing out against a weaker background set of items. Differentiation refers to individual items being processed in a unique manner such that they stand out against all other items. Only when items are differentiated and in a distinctive context will optimal encoding occur and directed forgetting be eliminated. Experiments 1-3 demonstrated that pictures, imagery, and production are all subject to intentional selection processes when studied alone (i.e., they produce directed forgetting). However, when these differentiated forms of encoding take place in the presence of weaker background items, encoding benefits from both differentiation and distinctiveness, and is optimal—resistant to intentional forgetting. Experiment 4 demonstrated that differentiation in a distinctive context is the key ingredient for eliminating directed forgetting: When encoding is improved with non-unique semantic processing, then item selection processes can still operate, and directed forgetting is produced. Taken together, these experiments show that when differentiated items are studied in a distinctive context, the strong items are not subject to directed forgetting. Yet when these same differentiated items are studied in a non-distinctive context, directed forgetting does occur. Differentiation in the absence of distinctiveness is not sufficient to eliminate directed forgetting, nor is distinctiveness in the absence of differentiation sufficient to eliminate directed forgetting. Both encoding processes must be in place for directed forgetting to be abolished. This pattern provides evidence that optimal encoding can be achieved when differentiation occurs in a distinctive context.

The goal of this dissertation is to examine circumstances that encourage optimal encoding in memory. To accomplish this, several encoding manipulations were examined in the context of intentional forgetting. The typically robust item method directed forgetting effect is attributed to selective rehearsal: Participants intentionally select the Remember items as having priority in memory and rehearse them, at the same time choosing not to rehearse Forget items. A series of new experiments demonstrate that when encoding is already optimal, intentional selection processes are ineffective at improving memory further, thus eliminating directed forgetting. These circumstances must serve to promote differentiation of items in a distinctive context. Distinctiveness is defined as a relatively well-remembered set of items standing out against a weaker background set of items. Differentiation refers to individual items being processed in a unique manner such that they stand out against all other items. Only when items are differentiated and in a distinctive context will optimal encoding occur and directed forgetting be eliminated. Experiments 1-3 demonstrated that pictures, imagery, and production are all subject to intentional selection processes when studied alone (i.e., they produce directed forgetting). However, when these differentiated forms of encoding take place in the presence of weaker background items, encoding benefits from both differentiation and distinctiveness, and is optimal—resistant to intentional forgetting. Experiment 4 demonstrated that differentiation in a distinctive context is the key ingredient for eliminating directed forgetting: When encoding is improved with non-unique semantic processing, then item selection processes can still operate, and directed forgetting is produced. Taken together, these experiments show that when differentiated items are studied in a distinctive context, the strong items are not subject to directed forgetting. Yet when these same differentiated items are studied in a non-distinctive context, directed forgetting does occur. Differentiation in the absence of distinctiveness is not sufficient to eliminate directed forgetting, nor is distinctiveness in the absence of differentiation sufficient to eliminate directed forgetting. Both encoding processes must be in place for directed forgetting to be abolished. This pattern provides evidence that optimal encoding can be achieved when differentiation occurs in a distinctive context.

To date, relatively little research has investigated participants’ ability to monitor their memory for faces and names. Four experiments were conducted with aim of developing a comprehensive profile of memory monitoring performance during face identification tasks. In each experiment, memory monitoring judgements were solicited during encoding and/or retrieval of unfamiliar face-name pairs. In general, subjective estimates of future and past memory performance were valid predictors of objective memory performance, regardless of whether a face or name was the item to be retrieved from memory. As a test of the stability of memory monitoring accuracy across different categories of stimuli, memory monitoring for face-name pairs was compared with noun-noun pairs. The predictive validity of estimates of future memory performance was similar across the categories of stimuli, but the predictive validity of estimates of past memory performance was superior for nouns compared with names. A subset of the studies examined the influence of face and name distinctiveness on memory and memory monitoring for face-name associations. This was done in an attempt to identify sources of information that individuals might use to monitor their memory during face-name learning. The beneficial effects of distinctiveness on associative memory were symmetrical between faces and names, such that relative to their typical counterparts, distinct faces enhanced memory for names, and distinct names enhanced memory for faces. These effects were also apparent in memory monitoring. Estimates of future and past memory performance were greater for face-name associations that contained a distinct face or name compared with a typical face or name, regardless of whether the distinct item was a cue or target. Moreover, the predictive validity of prospective monitoring improved with name distinctiveness, whereas the predictive validity of retrospective monitoring improved with facial distinctiveness. Altogether, the results of the dissertation indicate that participants can monitor their memory for faces and names at a level above chance, that retrospective metamemory is more accurate for nouns compared with names, and that distinctiveness not only affects the strength of the association between a face and a name, but also the ability to monitor that association.

To date, relatively little research has investigated participants’ ability to monitor their memory for faces and names. Four experiments were conducted with aim of developing a comprehensive profile of memory monitoring performance during face identification tasks. In each experiment, memory monitoring judgements were solicited during encoding and/or retrieval of unfamiliar face-name pairs. In general, subjective estimates of future and past memory performance were valid predictors of objective memory performance, regardless of whether a face or name was the item to be retrieved from memory. As a test of the stability of memory monitoring accuracy across different categories of stimuli, memory monitoring for face-name pairs was compared with noun-noun pairs. The predictive validity of estimates of future memory performance was similar across the categories of stimuli, but the predictive validity of estimates of past memory performance was superior for nouns compared with names. A subset of the studies examined the influence of face and name distinctiveness on memory and memory monitoring for face-name associations. This was done in an attempt to identify sources of information that individuals might use to monitor their memory during face-name learning. The beneficial effects of distinctiveness on associative memory were symmetrical between faces and names, such that relative to their typical counterparts, distinct faces enhanced memory for names, and distinct names enhanced memory for faces. These effects were also apparent in memory monitoring. Estimates of future and past memory performance were greater for face-name associations that contained a distinct face or name compared with a typical face or name, regardless of whether the distinct item was a cue or target. Moreover, the predictive validity of prospective monitoring improved with name distinctiveness, whereas the predictive validity of retrospective monitoring improved with facial distinctiveness. Altogether, the results of the dissertation indicate that participants can monitor their memory for faces and names at a level above chance, that retrospective metamemory is more accurate for nouns compared with names, and that distinctiveness not only affects the strength of the association between a face and a name, but also the ability to monitor that association.

This thesis explores the topic of brand distinctiveness, which involves elements of a brand that make it stand out in the minds of consumers. This thesis has shown that colour is a key element of branding that helps consumers identify a brand.

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There is evidence of false recognition (FR) driven by orthographic similarities within languages (Lambert, Chang, & Lin, 2001; Raser, 1972) and some evidence that FR crosses languages (Parra, 2013). No study has investigated whether FR based on orthographic similarities occurs for unknown words in an unknown language. This study aimed to answer this question. It further explored whether FR based on orthographic similarities is more likely in a known (English) than in an unknown (Spanish) language. Forty-six English monolinguals participated. They studied 50 English and 50 Spanish words during a study phase. A recognition test was given immediately after the study phase. It consisted of 40 Spanish and 40 English words. It included list words (i.e., words presented at study); homographs (i.e., words not presented at study, orthographically similar to words presented at study); and unrelated words (i.e., words not presented at study, not orthographically similar to words presented at study). The LSD post-hoc test showed significant results supporting the hypothesis that false recognition based on orthographic similarities occurs for words in a known language (English) and in an unknown language (Spanish). Further evidence was provided by the LSD post-hoc test supporting the hypothesis that false recognition based on orthographic similarities was more likely to occur in a known language than an unknown language. Results provided evidence that the meaning and orthographic form are used when information is encoded thereby influencing recognition decisions. Furthermore, these results emphasize the significance of orthography when information is encoded and retrieved.

People always find themselves interacting with others and forming ties with them; these ties shape an individual’s social network which helps form the self-conception and identity of a person. In discussing the essence of social networks and how they are formed the concept of homophily is of high significance. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to show the association between homophily and the process of friendship formation. As the structure of any social network is important in tie formation, I have also intended to study homophilous tie formation from a distinctiveness theory perspective, suggesting that individuals with minority characteristics are more prone to form friendship ties with each other. The types of homophily studied in this research are gender, religion, nationality/ethnicity, and political views. The data is gathered from the cohort which started grade 10 in upper secondary education in a school in Stockholm in Autumn 2012. The analyses were conducted using logistic regression. The results indicated the existence of gender homophily and national homophily. However, religious homophily did not appear to be significant; political homophily was only significant for individuals who were participating in political meetings. However, due to lack of sufficient data, the relations between network structure and homophilous relations could not be accurately tested. Since the data were not collected randomly and the school was chosen due to its specific characteristics, it is not possible to generalize the results of the research to all of the adolescents living in Stockholm. However, this research sheds some light on the mechanisms at play in friendship formation among adolescents.