Differences Between 'Monitoring Not' and 'Not Monitoring' in Automatic Memory for Context

Automatic memory (AA) refers to memory which was neither monitored at encoding nor retrieval. Direct measurement of AA memory is examined with a recognition context paradigm, where larger grey perceptually non-salient words appear behind smaller black salient words. Context was manipulated by instructions telling participants to either monitor the grey (grey=target--black=context) or black word (black=target-- grey=context). Significant AA memory was obtained for both contexts, yet the pattern of results differed. Shorter-lists, deeperencoding and full-attention, enhanced memory for non-salient context, yet diminished AA memory for salient context. Longerlist, shallower-encoding and divided-attention, manipulations which weakened both target and AA memory for non-salient context, enhanced AA memory for salient context. Non-salient context is neither formally nor informally triggered by task requirement and is thus not monitored. However, salient context interferes with target monitoring and has to be intentionally ignored, i.e., monitored not. Implications of these results are addressed.