False Recognition in Short- and Long-Term Memory: Testing the Modality-Dependent Distinctiveness Explanation

There are dissociable patterns of modality-specific false recognition, with lower rates for auditory- compared to visually-presented words in short-term memory, but vice-versa in long-term memory. We test the explanation that auditory traces initially confer greater distinctiveness but fade across time. Increasing auditory distinctiveness negated the visual advantage in long-term memory.