Abstract:

Selective encoding and retrieval of valuable information are fundamental for individual survival and development, so how to guarantee the optimization of memory effects has been a key focus on memory research. In recent years, many studies have revealed the dual-mechanism for value-directed remembering, with automatic and strategic mechanisms both contributing to the differential storing of high- and low-value information. The previous studies of the dual- mechanism framework have greatly emphasized its independence, arguing that automatic and strategic mechanisms work separately. However, the present study found that both two mechanisms play a role in the process of value influence memory, the automatic mechanism and the strategic mechanism are specific to different contexts. The reward system and medial temporal lobe regions were more activated when the automatic mechanism was dominant, while deep semantic processing brain regions and executive control systems were more activated when the strategic mechanism was dominant.

From the perspective of specificity, the present research analyzes and describes the respective roles played by the two mechanisms in terms of different learning contexts, goal-directed, test duration and age stages of the participants. The mechanisms of value influence memory are context-dependent. In the Monetary incentive encoding (MIE) paradigm, high-value information is automated to attract participants' attentional resources, the automatic mechanism plays a dominant role and the role of the strategic mechanism is almost non-existent. In the Value-directed remembering (VDR) paradigm, the strategic mechanism formed by metacognitive monitoring and control and the automatic mechanism will work together and the role of the strategic mechanism is dominant. The mechanisms of value influence memory are goal-directed. The automatic mechanism plays a dominant role when the goal of the task is recognition test and the strategic mechanism plays a dominant role when the goal of the task is free recall test. In this process, value-directed metamemory plays an important role in the selection of dual mechanisms. The mechanisms of value influence memory are time-differentiated. The automatic and strategic mechanisms overlap in time course and play a dominant role at different times, with the automatic mechanism acting over a longer time course. The mechanisms of value influence memory are age-related. In childhood and adolescence, the automatic mechanism plays a dominant role and strategic mechanism begins to play a gradual role. In adulthood, automatic and strategic mechanisms play different roles in different contexts. In old age, strategic mechanism plays a dominant role and the role of automatic mechanism diminishes.

In summary, the mechanisms of value influence memory are specific, with learning contexts being the Monetary incentive encoding paradigm, goal-directed being recognition test, long delayed tests and pre-adulthood, where the automatic mechanism dominate. With learning contexts being the Value-directed remembering paradigm, goal-directed being free recall test, short immediate tests and post-adulthood, where strategic mechanism dominate. In-depth research on dual mechanisms of value-directed remembering can further reveal the modulating effect of reward on human memory and its neural basis, but there are the following issues to be further explored in this field: First, most of the current studies separate the roles of the two mechanisms and future studies should explore the roles that automatic and strategic mechanisms play together in different contexts. Second, the Monetary incentive encoding paradigm and the Value-directed remembering paradigm have two factors that affect the experimental results, namely goal-directed and interspersed testing, which are inseparable and whose specific impact on dual mechanisms needs to be further explored. Further, it should be focused on how value-directed metamemory monitors and controls the memory process and selects the dominant mechanism of value-directed remembering. Finally, it is necessary to further explore the joint and specific roles played by automatic and strategic mechanisms within the incidental memory paradigm.

Key words: value-directed remembering, automatic mechanism, strategic mechanism, metamemory, memory.