Cherdieu, M. , Mazza, S. & Versace, R.
Laboratory EMC. University Lyon 2. Lyon, France.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the sensory nature of memory and knowledge. Different studies based on the idea that knowledge is multimodal highlighted that all the sensory components of a memory trace can be reactivated if the participant is confronted with an object previously associated to this trace (whatever the sensory modality). We used in this study a paradigm divided into two phases. The first phase consisted in learning an association with a shape (a circle or a square) and a sound (a white noise). We also manipulated the sound frequency in each category obtaining a high frequency category: one shape presented without sound among shapes presented with sound; and a low frequency category: one shape presented with sound among shapes presented without sound. The second phase consisted in a priming task where the prime shape (without sound) preceded an object (associated or not with a noise in memory). We hypothesized that the presentation of a shape previously associated with a sound, facilitated the treatment of a “noisy” object. Furthermore we also expected the appearance of generalization and specification mechanisms as found in other studies.