Recognition memory is thought to be supported by two processes: the recollection of contextual information and an acontextual sense of familiarity from a previously experienced episode. There has been considerable interest in whether the hippocampus selectively supports recollection or whether the hippocampus contributes to both recollection and familiarity when memories are strong. Here, I briefly review results from event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies investigating the relationship between retrieval-related hippocampal activity and the recollection of contextual (source) information. On the basis of these findings, I argue that retrieval-related activity in the hippocampus is not modulated by differences in the undifferentiated memory strength elicited by test items. Instead, hippocampal activity is more likely to be sensitive to recollection success or to the amount of contextual information that is recollected in response to a test item.

Key words: context memory, item memory, familiarity, memory strength, medial temporal lobe