Agency alters memory organization during free recall

Abstract

This study examined how agentic decisions in the absence of explicit rewards influence memory organization. Participants studied lists of items to assign as gifts to two characters—either choosing freely (Choice group) or following instructions (Fixed group). During free recall, participants in the Choice group showed reduced temporal clustering and instead organized their memories around the choices they made. Specifically, they were more likely to recall together items that were assigned to the same character. These findings suggest that agency shifts memory organization away from temporal proximity and toward meaningful associations, highlighting how agency can shape the organization of memory.