Memorability boosts relational memory beyond item-specific memory.

What determines the quality of human memory? Recent studies suggest that memory success depends on an intrinsic property of stimuli-memorability, which has predominantly been examined in item recognition tests. However, memory is an integrated system that involves not only individual elements but also the relational contexts in which they are embedded, an aspect that has been largely overlooked. In the present study, we investigate the impact of memorability on both item memory and relational memory. Through three experiments with 90 adult participants, we demonstrate that the memorability of stimuli not only facilitates item memory but also profoundly boosts their relational memory, encompassing temporal, spatial, and item-item binding memory. These findings provide robust evidence that memorability is a systematic phenomenon that goes beyond the stimulus itself, highlighting the broader relational nature of memorability. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).