Recognition memory is improved for items produced at study (e.g., by reading them aloud) relative to a non-produced control condition (e.g., silent reading). This production effect is typically attributed to the extra elements in the production task (e.g., motor activation, auditory perception) enhancing item distinctiveness. To evaluate this claim, the present study examined the neural mechanisms underlying the production effect. Prior to a recognition memory test, different words within a study list were read either aloud, silently, or while saying “check” (as a sensorimotor control condition). Production improved recognition, and aloud words yielded higher rates of both recollection and familiarity judgments than either silent or control words. During encoding, fMRI revealed stronger activation in regions associated with motor, somatosensory, and auditory processing for aloud items than for either silent or control items. These activations were predictive of recollective success for aloud items at test. Together, our findings are compatible with a distinctiveness-based account of the production effect, while also pointing to the possible role of other processing differences during the aloud trials as compared to silent and control.

相对于非产生的控制条件（例如，默读），研究中产生的项目（例如，通过大声朗读）的识别记忆得到改善。这个制作效果通常归因于生产任务中的额外元素（例如，运动激活、听觉感知）增强了项目的独特性。为了评估这一说法，本研究检查了生产效应背后的神经机制。在识别记忆测试之前，学习列表中的不同单词被大声朗读、默读，或在说“检查”时（作为感觉运动控制条件）。生产提高了识别能力，并且与沉默词或控制词相比，大声词产生更高的回忆率和熟悉度判断率。在编码过程中，fMRI 显示与运动、体感和听觉处理相关的区域对大声项目的激活比静音或控制项目更强。这些激活预示着测试中大声项目的回忆成功。一起，