In the attentional boost effect (ABE), words or images encoded with to-be-responded targets are later recalled better than words or images encoded with to-be-ignored distractors. The ABE has been repeatedly demonstrated to improve item memory, whereas evidence concerning contextual memory is mixed, with studies showing both significant and null results. The present three experiments investigated whether the ABE could enhance contextual memory when using a recognition task that allowed participants to reinstate the original study context, by simultaneously manipulating the nature of the instructions provided at encoding. Participants studied a sequence of colored words paired with target (gray circles) or distractor (gray squares) stimuli, under the instructions to remember either the words and their colors (Exps. 1–2) or only the words (Exp. 3) and simultaneously press the space bar whenever a gray circle appeared on the screen. Then, after a brief interval, they were administered a modified recognition task involving two successive stages. First, participants were presented with two different words and had to decide which word was originally encoded; second, they were presented with five colored versions of the (correct) old words and had to remember the color in which they were studied. Results converged in showing that the ABE enhanced contextual memory, although the effect was more robust with intentional encoding instructions.

在注意力提升效应 (ABE) 中，使用待响应目标编码的单词或图像比使用待忽略干扰物编码的单词或图像更容易被召回。ABE 已被反复证明可以改善项目记忆，而有关上下文记忆的证据则参差不齐，研究显示了显着和无效的结果。目前的三个实验研究了 ABE 在使用允许参与者恢复原始研究上下文的识别任务时是否可以通过同时操纵编码时提供的指令的性质来增强上下文记忆。参与者研究了一系列与目标（灰色圆圈）或干扰物（灰色方块）刺激配对的彩色单词，在指示下记住单词及其颜色（Exps. 1-2）或只记住单词（Exps. 1-2）。3) 屏幕上出现灰色圆圈时同时按空格键。然后，在短暂的间隔后，他们接受了一项涉及两个连续阶段的修改后的识别任务。首先，向参与者展示了两个不同的单词，并且必须决定哪个单词最初是编码的；其次，向他们展示了（正确的）旧词的五种颜色版本，并且必须记住研究它们的颜色。结果一致表明，ABE 增强了上下文记忆，尽管有意编码指令的效果更加稳健。向参与者展示了两个不同的单词，并且必须决定哪个单词最初被编码；其次，向他们展示了（正确的）旧词的五种颜色版本，并且必须记住研究它们的颜色。结果一致表明，ABE 增强了上下文记忆，尽管有意编码指令的效果更加稳健。向参与者展示了两个不同的单词，并且必须决定哪个单词最初被编码；其次，向他们展示了（正确的）旧词的五种颜色版本，并且必须记住研究它们的颜色。结果一致表明，ABE 增强了上下文记忆，尽管有意编码指令的效果更加稳健。