The opportunity to choose enhances long-term episodic memory.

Memory

a Sagol Department of Neurobiology , University of Haifa, Haifa , Israel.

Published: April 2019

Episodic memory is typically studied under conditions that treat participants as passive agents. Here we sought to explore how actively engaging in ongoing naturalistic occurrences affects long-term episodic memory. Participants viewed 40 short movie clips that depicted a protagonist that conversed with the participants. In each clip, they were either offered the chance to (supposedly) determine the clip's continuation (active condition), or let the computer decide for them (passive condition). Participants returned either two days or one week after the experience to undergo a true/false memory test for the clips' details and a two-alternative recognition test for the choices made. Memory performance for both groups was superior for information and choices conveyed in the active vs. passive condition. These findings suggest that the sense of actively influencing the unfolding of events is beneficial to long-term memory of the experience at large, baring potential interventions in the fields of education and cognitive enhancement.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2018.1515317DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

episodic memory
12
long-term episodic
8
passive condition
8
memory
6
opportunity choose
4
choose enhances
4
enhances long-term
4
memory episodic
4
memory typically
4
typically studied
4

Similar Publications

Background: Although impaired cognitive control is common during the acute detoxification phase of substance use disorders (SUD) and is considered a major cause of relapse, it remains unclear after prolonged methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). The aim of the present study was to elucidate cognitive control in individuals with heroin use disorder (HUD) after prolonged MMT and its association with previous relapse.

Methods: A total of 63 HUD subjects (41 subjects with previous relapse and 22 non-relapse subjects, mean MMT duration: 12.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Network segregation during episodic memory shows age-invariant relations with memory performance from 7 to 82 years.

Neurobiol Aging

January 2025

Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo 0317, Norway; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo 0317, Norway.

Lower episodic memory capability, as seen in development and aging compared with younger adulthood, may partly depend on lower brain network segregation. Here, our objective was twofold: (1) test this hypothesis using within- and between-network functional connectivity (FC) during episodic memory encoding and retrieval, in two independent samples (n = 734, age 7-82 years). (2) Assess associations with age and the ability to predict memory comparing task-general FC and memory-modulated FC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Superagers, older adults with exceptional cognitive abilities, show preserved brain structure compared to typical older adults. We investigated whether superagers have biologically younger brains based on their structural integrity.

Methods: A cohort of 153 older adults (aged 61-93) was recruited, with 63 classified as superagers based on superior episodic memory and 90 as typical older adults, of whom 64 were followed up after two years.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The trajectory of crime: Integrating mouse-tracking into concealed memory detection.

Behav Res Methods

January 2025

Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences and Department of Psychology, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macau, China.

The autobiographical implicit association test (aIAT) is an approach of memory detection that can be used to identify true autobiographical memories. This study incorporates mouse-tracking (MT) into aIAT, which offers a more robust technique of memory detection. Participants were assigned to mock crime and then performed the aIAT with MT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Emotional events hold a privileged place in our memories, differing in accuracy and structure from memories for neutral experiences. Although much work has focused on the pronounced differences in memory for negative experiences, there is growing evidence that positive events may lead to more holistic, or integrated, memories. However, it is unclear whether these affect-driven changes in memory structure, which have been found in highly controlled laboratory environments, extend to real-world episodic memories.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!