Abstract: The dual-process models suggest that there are two forms of recognition: familiarity and recollection. The results of cognitive neuroscience on recollection and familiarity suggest that they are two functionally dissociable processes, and they rely on qualitatively distinct brain regions or neural mechanisms. The results of amnesic patients indicate that the hippocampal region is critical for recollection, whereas surrounding structures in the medial and inferior temporal lobe are important for familiarity. Familiarity and recollection have different scalp distribution and they are related with left prefrontal regions and later parietal activities separately.

Key words: familiarity, recollection, ERP, fMRI