Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: April 28, 2026
Last Modified: April 30, 2026 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
Retrieval Induced Forgetting is a memory phenomenon where actively recalling specific information causes the forgetting of related, non-retrieved information. Anderson et al (1994) suggest that that recalling items (e.g. fruit-orange) competes with recalling other related items (e.g. fruit-banana) which are then actively suppressed by the brain to reduce interference.
The implemented procedure is based on the published studies of Anderson et al (1994). The default implementation is based on Experiment 3.
Anderson, M. C., Bjork, R. A., & Bjork, E. L. (1994). Remembering Can Cause Forgetting: Retrieval Dynamics in Long-Term Memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 20(5), 1063–1087. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.20.5.1063
25 minutes
Participants learn category-exemplar pairs such as 'furniture - table', with some exemplars being more strongly associated with the categories than others (e.g. table vs. settee) for a later delayed free recall test. Each category-exemplar pair is presented for 5s. Filler items are presented at the start and the end of the learning sequence.
After the learning phase (and before the test), half the presented categories are chosen for a cued-retrieval practice procedure (RP). The other categories are designated control categories (NPR). Of the RP categories only half of the items are actually used during practice (RP+). The other half are designated comparison items (RP-). Each practice trial presents a category label and the first character of one of its RP+ exemplars. Participants have 10 seconds each to complete the exemplar. By default, each RP+ exemplar is presented 3 times. Filler items are presented at the start and the end of the practice sequence.
RP+: exemplars used during practice RP-: exemplars from categories used during practice but the items themselves are not NPR+: exemplars from categories not used during practice that are designated control items for RP+ exemplars NPR-: exemplars from categories not used during practice that are designated control items for RP- exemplars
An unrelated filler task usually precedes the test phase.
For the test, participants are running through a similar setup as used during the practice with the following differences: - categories are tested in a blocked format - all learning items are presented (except for the 2nd filler category) - RP+/RP- items are systematically varied in presentation order The first category label is that of one of the filler categories.
This script provides eight expCondition lists that create the four different expConditions with two
counterbalanced practice categories versions each:
SS: uses only strong exemplars (SS-1 vs. SS-2: counterbalance the practice categories)
WW: uses only weak exemplars (WW-1 vs. WW-2: counterbalance the practice categories)
SW: uses a mix, but uses only the strong exemplars for practice (SW-1 vs. SW-2: counterbalance the practice categories)
WS: uses a mix, but uses only the weak exemplars for practice (WS-1 vs. WS-2: counterbalance the practice categories)
The current stimuli lists run the design from Anderson et al (1994, Experiment 3)
Each list run 8 test categories (taken from Anderson et al, 1994, Experiment 3) and two filler categories
(added by Millisecond). Each category stores 12 items of which 6 items are used (which ones depends on
expGroup)
provided by Millisecond Software - can be edited in script 'rif_instructions_inc.iqjs'
File Name: rif_summary*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| inquisit.version | Inquisit version number |
| computer.platform | Device platform: win | mac |ios | android |
| computer.touch | 0 = device has no touchscreen capabilities; 1 = device has touchscreen capabilities |
| computer.hasKeyboard | 0 = no external keyboard detected; 1 = external keyboard detected |
| startDate | Date the session was run |
| startTime | Time the session was run |
| subjectId | Participant ID |
| groupId | Group number |
| sessionId | Session number |
| elapsedTime | Session duration in ms |
| completed | 0 = Test was not completed 1 = Test was completed |
| expCondition | SS-1/SS-2 (counterbalance the practice categories): presents only strong exemplars WW-1/WW-2 (counterbalance the practice categories): presents only weak exemplars SW-1/SW-2 (counterbalance the practice categories): presents a mix of strong and weak exemplars but practices only strong ones WS-1/WS-2 (counterbalance the practice categories): presents a mix of strong and weak exemplars but practices only weak ones |
| numberOfCategories | Number of tested categories (test + filler) |
| numberOfTestCategories | Number of actual test categories (no fillers) |
| numberOfItemsPerCategory | Number of total items per category numberOfActiveItemsPerCategory: number of items per category USED for each participant |
| phase | : 1 = Learning/Practice; 2 = Test |
Practice: Test Items Only (No Fillers) |
|
| propCorrPractice | Proportion correct practice retrieval |
| propCorrPracticeS | Proportion correct practice retrieval of Strong RP+ items |
| propCorrPracticeW | Proportion correct practice retrieval of Weak RP+ items |
| meanCorrRTPractice | Mean correct practice retrieval latency (in ms) |
| meanCorrRTPracticeS | Mean correct practice retrieval latency (in ms) of Strong RP+ items |
| meanCorrRTPracticeW | Mean correct practice retrieval latency (in ms) of Weak RP+ items |
Test: Test Items Only (No Fillers) |
|
| propCorrTest | Proportion correct test retrieval |
| propCorrTestSR11 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Strong RP+ items with testPosition = 1 (RP+ items presented before RP- items during test) |
| propCorrTestSR12 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Strong RP+ items with testPosition = 2 (RP+ items presented after RP- items during test) |
| propCorrTestWR11 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Weak RP+ items with testPosition = 1 |
| propCorrTestWR12 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Weak RP+ items with testPosition = 2 |
| propCorrTestSR21 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Strong RP- items with testPosition = 1 |
| propCorrTestSR22 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Strong RP- items with testPosition = 2 |
| propCorrTestWR21 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Weak RP- items with testPosition = 1 |
| propCorrTestWR22 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Weak RP- items with testPosition = 2 |
| propCorrTestSN11 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Strong NRP+ items with testPosition = 1 |
| propCorrTestSN12 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Strong NRP+ items with testPosition = 2 |
| propCorrTestWN11 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Weak NRP+ items with testPosition = 1 |
| propCorrTestWN12 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Weak NRP+ items with testPosition = 2 |
| propCorrTestSN21 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Strong NRP- items with testPosition = 1 |
| propCorrTestSN22 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Strong NRP- items with testPosition = 2 |
| propCorrTestWN21 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Weak NRP- items with testPosition = 1 |
| propCorrTestWN22 | Proportion correct test retrieval of Weak NRP- items with testPosition = 2 |
| meanCorrRTTest | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval |
| meanCorrRTTestSR11 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Strong RP+ items with testPosition = 1 |
| meanCorrRTTestSR12 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Strong RP+ items with testPosition = 2 |
| meanCorrRTTestWR11 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Weak RP+ items with testPosition = 1 |
| meanCorrRTTestWR12 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Weak RP+ items with testPosition = 2 |
| meanCorrRTTestSR21 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Strong RP- items with testPosition = 1 |
| meanCorrRTTestSR22 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Strong RP- items with testPosition = 2 |
| meanCorrRTTestWR21 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Weak RP- items with testPosition = 1 |
| meanCorrRTTestWR22 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Weak RP- items with testPosition = 2 |
| meanCorrRTTestSN11 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Strong NRP+ items with testPosition = 1 |
| meanCorrRTTestSN12 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Strong NRP+ items with testPosition = 2 |
| meanCorrRTTestWN11 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Weak NRP+ items with testPosition = 1 |
| meanCorrRTTestWN12 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Weak NRP+ items with testPosition = 2 |
| meanCorrRTTestSN21 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Strong NRP- items with testPosition = 1 |
| meanCorrRTTestSN22 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Strong NRP- items with testPosition = 2 |
| meanCorrRTTestWN21 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Weak NRP- items with testPosition = 1 |
| meanCorrRTTestWN22 | Mean correct latency (in ms) of test retrieval of Weak NRP- items with testPosition = 2 |
| stimList | A storage variable that stores all exemplars and their properties as well as relevant practice and test performance if practice and test are run within the same session that is controlled by the same batch script, the script will store both practice AND test performance at the end of the test phase (in this case the batch script can hand data from phase1 to phase2). |
File Name: rif_raw*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| build | Inquisit version number |
| computer.platform | Device platform: win | mac |ios | android |
| computer.touch | 0 = device has no touchscreen capabilities; 1 = device has touchscreen capabilities |
| computer.hasKeyboard | 0 = no external keyboard detected; 1 = external keyboard detected |
| date | Date the session was run |
| time | Time the session was run |
| subject | Participant ID |
| group | Group number |
| session | Session number |
| blockcode | The name the current block (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| blocknum | The number of the current block (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| trialcode | The name of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| trialnum | The number of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable) trialnum is a built-in Inquisit variable; it counts all trials run even those that do not store data to the data file. |
| expCondition | SS-1/SS-2 (counterbalance the practice categories): presents only strong exemplars WW-1/WW-2 (counterbalance the practice categories): presents only weak exemplars SW-1/SW-2 (counterbalance the practice categories): presents a mix of strong and weak exemplars but practices only strong ones WS-1/WS-2 (counterbalance the practice categories): presents a mix of strong and weak exemplars but practices only weak ones |
| numberOfCategories | Number of tested categories (test + filler) |
| numberOfTestCategories | Number of actual test categories (no fillers) |
| numberOfItemsPerCategory | Number of total items per category numberOfActiveItemsPerCategory: number of items per category USED for each participant ('ACTIVE' exemplars) |
| phase | : 1 = Learning/Practice; 2 = Test |
| trialCounter | Tracks the trials run per block |
| testStatus | 1 = test item; 2 = filler item |
| index | Stores the index of the retrieved item from the stimList (array variable that stores all properties for each exemplar presented in experiment) |
| categoryIndex | The category index of the currently presented category (1-10) |
| category | Stores the category label (of the current exemplar) |
| categoryRelationship | Stores the the categoryRelationship of the current exemplar 1 = strong 2 = weak |
| rpCategory | Stores the rp Category of the current exemplar 1 = category is used during retrieval 2 = category is NOTused during retrieval |
| rpStimCat | "RP+", "RP-", "NRP+","NRP-" RP+: exemplars used during retrieval RP-: exemplars from categories used during retrieval but the items themselves are not NPR+: exemplars from categories not used during retrieval that are designated control items for RP+ exemplars NPR-: exemplars from categories not used during retrieval that are designated control items for RP- exemplars |
| testPosition | 1 = dedicated to be presented amongst the first (3) test items of a category during test retrieval 2 = dedicated to be presented amongst the last (3) test items of a category during test retrieval |
| exemplar | Stores the actual exemplar |
Learning |
|
| learningRoundCounter | Tracks the number of 'learning' rounds (each round should present one exemplar from each category) |
Retrieval |
|
| corrRetrievalSolution | Stores the currently correct retrieval solution |
| retrievalCue | Stores the current cue |
| retrievalRsp | Stores the currently entered retrieval response |
Built-In Dvs |
|
| response | The response of participant |
| correct | Correctness of response (1 = correct, 0 = error) |
| latency | Response latency (in ms); measured from: onset of trial |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
Design |
||
| numberOfLearningReps | Number of times all exemplars are presented | 1 |
| numberCueChars | Number of characters used for the cue during retrieval | 1 |
Sizing Parameters |
||
| stimSizePct | The relative height of the words (relative to canvas height) | 5% |
Timing Parameters |
||
| learningDurationMS | The duration (in ms) that each word is presented during the learning phase | 5000 |
| retrievalRspWindowMS | The response window (in ms) for entering the retrieval response | 10000 |
| retrievalItiMS | The interstimulus interval (in ms) during retrieval | 100 |