Individual differences in memory generalization

Memory allows us to remember individual experiences (memory specificity) as well as link across experiences to form generalized knowledge (generalization). Still debated, however, is the degree to which generalization relies on unique processes beyond memory for individual experiences, such as the integration of related memories into a combined representation. One of the barriers to resolving this debate is that a number of paradigms are used to index generalization (e.g. associative inference, acquired equivalence, transitive inference, categorization) without formal consensus they are capturing a shared process. By measure individual differences in performance across putative generalization and memory specificity tasks, we can begin to answer to what extent putative generalization measures rely on a shared process and how they relate to measures of memory specificity.