Chewing gum and context-dependent memory: The independent roles of chewing gum and mint flavour

Authors: Johnson, A.J. and Miles, C.

Journal: British Journal of Psychology

Volume: 99

Pages: 293-306

ISSN: 0007-1269

DOI: 10.1348/000712607X228474

Abstract:

Two experiments independently investigated the basis of the chewing-gum induced context-dependent memory effect (Baker et al, 2004). At learning and/or recall participants either chewed flavourless gum (Experiment 1) or received mint-flavoured strips (Experiment 2). No context dependent memory effect was found with either flavourless gum or mint-flavoured strips, indicating that independently the contexts were insufficiently salient to induce the effect. This is found despite participants’ subjective ratings indicating a perceived change in state following administration of flavourless gum or mint-flavoured strips. Additionally, some preliminary evidence for a non-additive facilitative effect of receiving gum or flavour at either learning and/or recall is reported. The findings raise further concerns regarding the robustness of the previously reported context-dependent memory effect with chewing gum.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/19886/

Source: Manual