Deconstructing Accurate and Inaccurate Recall in the DRM Paradigm: A Phenomenological and Behavioral Exploration.

> Context • Reliably differentiating between memories of events that happened and those that did not (commonly referred to as "false memories" in the literature) is essential for both personal and societal well-being, yet studies increasingly show that this is nearly impossible to achieve. > Problem • Significant support for this conclusion comes from the research using the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm, which has been limited in terms of behavioral and phenomenological measures employed, particularly concerning recall memory (as opposed to recognition memory). > Method • We used a combination of disciplined first-person methodology and behavioral measures to explore the process of recall in the DRM paradigm. Participants were interrupted during word recall and underwent phenomenological interviews about their recall processes. Reaction times and performance accuracy were measured for each recalled word. > Results • We identified a diverse selection of categories pertaining to the phenomenology of recall, describing the mechanisms of attention, structural and processual characteristics, mood and motivation, and other experiences indirectly related to recall. These categories were used to construct the phenomenological indicators of accurate and inaccurate recall. The most coherent accurate recall indicators were related to the experience of strong certainty or the emergence of a word matching the critical lure during encoding as a word that should be avoided during recall. The most coherent inaccurate recall indicators were linked to a deliberate, inferential type of recall or an automatic and fluid recall. Preliminary joint analysis of phenomenological and behavioral data indicated support for the most coherent inaccurate recall indicators, showing varying reaction times associated with different indicators and noticeable differences in the serial position of recalled words corresponding to the indicators. > Implications • This study sheds light on the complexity of recall in the DRM paradigm, highlighting the need for a phenomenologically driven mixed-methods approach in a quest to better understand the nature of both accurate and inaccurate memories. > Constructivist content • The research design for this study draws heavily on Varela's neurophenomenological framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]