Event-related potential (ERP) signatures of preparation to retrieve episodic memories have been identified in several studies. A common finding is relatively more positive-going ERP activity over right-frontal sites when people prepare for episodic rather than semantic retrieval. This activity has been linked to the process of retrieval mode - a retrieval set that ensures subsequent events are treated as cues for episodic retrieval. This experiment was designed to test one explanation for why this putative index of retrieval mode was not observed in two recent experiments. Towards this end, ERPs were recorded time-locked to different task-cues indicating which of two retrieval tasks participants should prepare to complete. Each task-cue was followed by a retrieval-cue that required a memory judgment. Departures from the designs of the two studies in which null ERP results were obtained were intra-trial timings and the order in which task cues were presented. Frequentist statistics revealed that ERPs elicited by the task-cues did index preparation to retrieve. The topographies of these activities, however, did not overlap markedly with that of the putative index of retrieval mode reported previously. Bayesian analyses, moreover, provided little compelling evidence for a signature of retrieval mode. These outcomes prompt consideration of how ERP sensitivities to preparatory retrieval processing should be characterized.

中文翻译：

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关于事件相关电位对检索模式的敏感性。

在几项研究中已经确定了准备检索事件性记忆的事件相关电位（ERP）签名。一个常见的发现是，当人们为情节准备而不是语义检索做准备时，在右额部位相对积极的ERP活动。这项活动已与检索模式的过程相关联-检索集可确保将后续事件视为情节检索的线索。本实验旨在测试一种解释，以解释为什么最近两次实验中未观察到这种假定的检索模式指标。为此，ERP记录了时间锁定在不同的任务线索上，指示参与者应准备完成的两个检索任务中的哪一个。每个任务提示后都有一个需要记忆判断的检索提示。从两项无效ERP研究结果获得的研究的设计出发，是审判的时间安排和任务提示的出现顺序。频繁的统计数据表明，由任务提示引起的ERP进行了索引准备以进行检索。但是，这些活动的地形与先前报道的检索模式的假定索引没有明显重叠。此外，贝叶斯分析几乎没有令人信服的证据来证明检索模式的特征。这些结果促使人们思考如何表征ERP对预备检索处理的敏感性。但是，这些活动的地形与先前报道的检索模式的假定索引没有明显重叠。此外，贝叶斯分析几乎没有令人信服的证据来证明检索模式的特征。这些结果促使人们思考如何表征ERP对预备检索处理的敏感性。但是，这些活动的地形与先前报道的检索模式的假定索引没有明显重叠。此外，贝叶斯分析几乎没有令人信服的证据来证明检索模式的特征。这些结果促使人们思考如何表征ERP对预备检索处理的敏感性。