Implicit contamination extends across multiple methodologies: Implications for fMRI

The article More than a feeling: Pervasive influences of memory without awareness of retrieval reviews evidence from ERP studies of recognition memory that the FN400 effect typically ascribed to familiarity may index implicit memory that occurs during recognition testing. We find their argument compelling, and contend that this potential implicit contamination is not unique to ERP studies. We suggest an analogous problem affecting fMRI studies, focusing particularly on the perirhinal cortex. Resolving this issue is critical for understanding the relationship between memory and the medial temporal lobes.