Despite the crucial role that the recall of autobiographical memories (AMs) plays for identity, the process of how we recall AMs, and whether retrieval processes undergo , has received little attention. The present study...Despite the crucial role that the recall of autobiographical memories (AMs) plays for identity, the process of how we recall AMs, and whether retrieval processes undergo , has received little attention. The present study thus examined the order of AMs during recall, with a specific focus on time and centrality as guiding dimensions. A total of 364 participants (aged 18-89 years) recalled up to ten positive and negative AMs. They provided their age at the time of the event and rated AMs according to their centrality to identity and life story. Based on linear growth models, we found emotional AMs to be recalled chronologically. Additionally, people ordered their emotional AMs along their relative importance. Notably, both order effects vary across age: Whereas the chronological order effect became more pronounced with increasing age, the reversed pattern was found regarding the centrality order effect for negative AMs. Positive AMs were also ordered according to their centrality, but the strength of this effect was independent of participants' age. Findings are discussed in terms of potential motivational factors underlying the retrieval mechanisms associated with the recall of positive and negative AMs and age-related differences therein.
This study, involving 34 Malaysian adults, investigated if the memory of cultural life script congruent and incongruent events was better than life script neutral events. We created a 1500-word hypothetical life story of...This study, involving 34 Malaysian adults, investigated if the memory of cultural life script congruent and incongruent events was better than life script neutral events. We created a 1500-word hypothetical life story of a Malaysian girl comprising six life script congruent, six life script incongruent, and six life script neutral events. Half of those events were high-frequent, and half were low-frequent life script events. Participants first read the story on a computer screen and then completed a free recall test ten minutes later and again one week later. They recalled as many details as they could from the 18 events presented in the story. The results revealed that participants retrieved more information from the life script incongruent events than from life script congruent events at both recall points. The memory for high-frequent life script events was better than for low-frequent and life script-neutral events. Overall, the recall rate was higher in the immediate than in the late phase. The results confirm the or Von Restorff effect, which predicts that unusual and distinctive events are more memorable than typical, commonly expected events.
The mnemic neglect effect describes a memory phenomenon in which individuals selectively forget negative information that threatens their core self-beliefs. While most studies support this phenomenon, some have shown tha...The mnemic neglect effect describes a memory phenomenon in which individuals selectively forget negative information that threatens their core self-beliefs. While most studies support this phenomenon, some have shown that individuals do not always neglect self-relevant negative information and may even focus on it more. This study aims to validate the stability of mnemic neglect and explore the factors contributing to its variability under different conditions. This meta-analysis includes 18 studies with 93 independent samples (N = 4,989). The findings reveal: (1) The overall effect size of mnemic neglect is robust, = 0.365, with a 95% CI [0.253, 0.476], Z = 6.416, < 0.001; (2) there is a significant difference between recall performance for central and peripheral information, with individuals exhibiting better recall for self-relevant central information; (3) individuals recall fewer self-relevant central negative information compared to other-relevant central negative information; and (4) subgroup analysis indicates significant moderation of the mnemic neglect effect by anxiety levels and two fundamental dimensions of social cognition. This study provides empirical support for the robustness of mnemic neglect and further explores its underlying motivational mechanisms and influencing factors.
The mechanisms underlying forgetting have been central to theorising about verbal short-term and working memory, and the importance of interference as opposed to decay continues to be vigorously debated. Here, we present...The mechanisms underlying forgetting have been central to theorising about verbal short-term and working memory, and the importance of interference as opposed to decay continues to be vigorously debated. Here, we present two experiments to evaluate the nature and locus of phonological interference as a source of forgetting in serial recall. In these experiments, we replicate studies showing that repetition of phonemes across items impairs recall of the later list item, even with visual presentation and typed recall. In addition, we manipulate the degree of phonemic overlap between a target word and preceding words in the list, and demonstrate that consonants that are only similar, as opposed to identical, to each other can interfere with the recall of other list items. Taken together, the experiments suggest that the primary factor driving phonological interference is the similarity of the articulatory features of the phonemes.
Age-related losses in executive control are widely assumed to contribute to prospective memory (PM) lapses in late adulthood, but to date, this assumption has gained only inconsistent support from lab-based studies. The...Age-related losses in executive control are widely assumed to contribute to prospective memory (PM) lapses in late adulthood, but to date, this assumption has gained only inconsistent support from lab-based studies. The present study tested whether age indirectly affects PM via (1) individual differences in specific executive control operations (a parallel mediated model), or (2) a serially mediated model, with processing speed as the first mediator. Older adults (= 166) completed four measures of PM that had higher ecological validity than standard lab-based paradigms, as well as measures of executive function and other cognitive abilities. The results showed that, although age was a significant predictor of reduced performance on three of the PM measures, particularly time-based tasks, these negative age associations were only slightly diminished when executive functions were controlled for. Performance on the PM task with the greatest ecological validity (MEMO) was independent of age and measures of executive function but positively related to both learning and retention. Processing speed was a poor predictor of PM performance on all measures (accounting for between 0% and 4% of variance). Taken together, these results highlight the need for circumspection in generalising the role of executive control in age-related prospective memory performance.
Prospective memory refers to the ability to remember and execute planned tasks. This ability is associated with certain cognitive processes and personality traits. This study investigated the mediating role of impulsivit...Prospective memory refers to the ability to remember and execute planned tasks. This ability is associated with certain cognitive processes and personality traits. This study investigated the mediating role of impulsivity facets in the relationship between executive functions and prospective memory. Urmia University students ( = 201) participated in this cross-sectional study conducted from October to December 2023. Cluster sampling was employed for recruitment. Data were collected using the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ), Adult Executive Functioning Inventory (ADEXI), and Short UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (S-UPPS-P). Correlational analyses and path analysis were conducted. The path analysis revealed that among impulsivity facets, just lack of perseverance partially mediates the relationship between working memory and prospective memory ( = .062, < .05), but not between inhibition and prospective memory ( = .010). These findings suggest that working memory deficits contribute to prospective memory failures, with lack of perseverance acting as a single mediator. This highlights the importance of considering both lack of perseverance and working memory for a comprehensive understanding of prospective memory difficulties.
This research comprises three studies centered on the development and validation of a self-report measure of psychological closure and resolution, the Closure and Resolution Scale (CRS). Study 1 used exploratory factor a...This research comprises three studies centered on the development and validation of a self-report measure of psychological closure and resolution, the Closure and Resolution Scale (CRS). Study 1 used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) in two samples to probe the factor structure for closure using original (Study 1a = 284) and revised (Study 1b = 158) item pools. Study 2 (= 159) examined model fit using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and revealed a good-fitting simple structural solution. The CRS consists of 34 items assessing six facets of event resolution: (1) finality, (2) understanding, (3) felt distance, (4) emotional relief, (5) mental release, and (6) behavioural deactivation. Study 3 (= 182) examined convergent and discriminant validity for the CRS and provided evidence of construct validity. Participants resided in North America and primarily identified as White (68.7%-77.5%), male (44.3%-59.3%) or female (40.1%-55.7%), with post-secondary education (69.3%-71.7%). We offer a novel measure of psychological closure and resolution with preliminary evidence of good psychometric properties.
We know much about people's problematic reactions-such as distressing intrusions-to negative, stressful, or traumatic events. But emerging evidence suggests people react similarly to negative and potentially-traumatic...We know much about people's problematic reactions-such as distressing intrusions-to negative, stressful, or traumatic events. But emerging evidence suggests people react similarly to negative and potentially-traumatic events. Given similar processes underlie remembering the past and imagining the future more generally, we wondered how similar involuntary memories, or intrusions, are for experienced vs. anticipated events. We focused primarily on intrusions because they are a transdiagnostic reaction to traumatic events. We asked subjects to report either a very stressful event they had experienced in the past 6 months, or one they anticipated they could experience in the next 6 months. We measured the frequency of intrusions about these reported events, and intrusions' phenomenological characteristics (such as emotional intensity), negative appraisals about their meaning, and reactions to them more generally. Overall, we found intrusions about experienced vs. anticipated autobiographical events were similarly troubling. This pattern supports the idea that anticipating the future can be aversive and elicit post-traumatic-stress-like symptoms, just as remembering the past can. Our findings have implications for theoretical models of traumatic-stress and treatment of traumatic-stress symptoms.
The relationship between sports expertise and working memory (WM) has garnered increasing attention in experimental research. However, no meta-analysis has compared WM performance between athletes and non-athletes. This...The relationship between sports expertise and working memory (WM) has garnered increasing attention in experimental research. However, no meta-analysis has compared WM performance between athletes and non-athletes. This study addresses this gap by comparing WM performance between these groups and investigating potential moderators. A comprehensive literature search identified 21 studies involving 1455 participants from seven databases, including PubMed, Embase, and ProQuest. Athletes primarily engaged in basketball, football, and fencing, while non-athletes included some identified as sedentary. The risk of bias assessment indicated low risk across most domains. Publication bias, assessed through a funnel plot and statistical tests, showed no significant evidence of bias. The forest plot, using a random effects model, revealed moderate heterogeneity. The overall effect size indicated a statistically significant, albeit small, advantage for athletes over non-athletes (Hedges' g = 0.30), persisting across sports types and performance levels. Notably, this advantage was more pronounced when athletes were contrasted with a sedentary population (Hedges' g = 0.63), compared to the analysis where the sedentary population was excluded from the non-athlete reference group (Hedges' g = 0.15). Our findings indicate a consistent link between sports expertise and improved WM performance, while sedentary lifestyles appear to be associated with WM disadvantages.
Kathios N, Bloom PA, Singh A
… +12 more, Bartlett E, Algharazi S, Siegelman M, Shen F, Beresford L, DiMaggio-Potter ME, Bennett S, Natarajan N, Ou Y, Loui P, Aly M, Tottenham N
Music-evoked autobiographical memories (MEAMs) are typically elicited by music that listeners have heard before. While studies that have directly manipulated music familiarity show that familiar music evokes more MEAMs t...Music-evoked autobiographical memories (MEAMs) are typically elicited by music that listeners have heard before. While studies that have directly manipulated music familiarity show that familiar music evokes more MEAMs than music listeners have not heard before, music that is unfamiliar to the listener can also sporadically cue autobiographical memory. Here we examined whether music that sounds familiar even without previous exposure can produce spontaneous MEAMs. Cognitively healthy older adults ( = 75, ages 65-80 years) listened to music clips that were chosen by researchers to be either familiar or unfamiliar (i.e., varying by prior exposure). Participants then disclosed whether the clip elicited a MEAM and later provided self-reported familiarity ratings for each. Self-reported familiarity was positively associated with the occurrence of MEAMs in response to familiar, but not the unfamiliar, music. The likelihood of reporting MEAMs for music released during youth (i.e., the "reminiscence bump") relative to young adulthood (20-25 years) included both music released during participants' adolescence (14-18 years) and middle childhood (5-9 years) once self-reported familiarity was accounted for. These developmental effects could not be accounted for by music-evoked affect. Overall, our results suggest that the phenomenon of MEAMs hinges upon both perceptions of familiarity and prior exposure.
Retelling an event in a social setting often means talking about it less factually than we might if trying to recall it as accurately as possible. These distortions that arise from socially oriented retellings could affe...Retelling an event in a social setting often means talking about it less factually than we might if trying to recall it as accurately as possible. These distortions that arise from socially oriented retellings could affect the ability to later recall the same event accurately. Does retelling a story in a social situation impair memory compared to not retelling it at all? Or could retrieving the memory, even with a socially oriented mindset, still improve memory? We explored social retelling's effect on memory in a two-session study. Participants heard two stories twice and, after a distractor task, retold the stories according to one of three randomly assigned conditions: social retelling (retell the stories as if talking to friends), accuracy retelling (retell the stories as accurately as possible), or no retelling. A day later, everyone retold the stories as accurately as possible. Participants in the accuracy retelling group included more specific details in their session two retellings than did the social retelling group, which included more specific details than the no retelling group. Elaborations in session two did not differ across groups. Findings suggest retelling a story in a social situation benefits memory, though not as much as retelling a story accurately does.
Three experiments examined if deep processing would aid in reducing off-task thoughts during learning. In each experiment, participants learned words or pairs of words under deep or shallow conditions. During learning, p...Three experiments examined if deep processing would aid in reducing off-task thoughts during learning. In each experiment, participants learned words or pairs of words under deep or shallow conditions. During learning, participants were periodically presented with thought-probes to examine if they were experiencing off-task thoughts (mind wandering, external distraction, mind blanking). Levels of processing was manipulated both within (Experiment 1) and between subjects (Experiments 2 and 3) using structural, rhyme, and semantic judgements and testing memory with cued-recall (Experiments 1 and 2) or recognition (Experiment 3). All three experiments demonstrated a levels of processing effect on memory with better performance in deep compared to shallow conditions. Importantly, in all three experiments rates of off-task thinking (and mind wandering more specifically) were the same across conditions and Bayes factors suggested moderate evidence in favour of the null hypothesis. The results suggest that deep processing does not necessarily protect against mind wandering and other lapses of attention.
During ongoing narratives, event boundaries trigger processes relevant for subsequent memory. Previous work has shown that novel, unrelated input presented at an event boundary can retroactively interfere with short-term...During ongoing narratives, event boundaries trigger processes relevant for subsequent memory. Previous work has shown that novel, unrelated input presented at an event boundary can retroactively interfere with short-term retention of the preceding event. This interference was attributed to a perturbation of offset-related processes taking place within seconds after encoding and supporting the binding of elements into a coherent event memory. However, the temporal specificity of this memory interference and whether its impact extends to longer retention delays has not been addressed. Here, participants viewed either individual or pairs of short narrative movie clips. Susceptibility to interference at event boundaries was probed by presenting the second clip either immediately after the first, or with a 2s encoding delay. In free and cued recall, after 20 min and 24 h, only memory for movie clips that were immediately followed by a second clip was reduced compared to clips shown in isolation. Intact offset-related processes (as indexed by successful recall of the first movie) did not negatively affect encoding of the subsequent clip. Together, these results indicate that the 2s time-window immediately after an event is relevant for successful consolidation and long-term retention of memory.
Previous research has established that the brain uses episodic memories to make continuous predictions about the world and that prediction errors, so the mismatch between generated predictions and reality, can lead to me...Previous research has established that the brain uses episodic memories to make continuous predictions about the world and that prediction errors, so the mismatch between generated predictions and reality, can lead to memory updating. However, it remains unclear whether prediction errors can stimulate updating in memories for naturalistic conversations. Participants encoded naturalistic dialogues, which were later presented in a modified form. We found that larger modifications were associated with increased learning of the modified statement. Moreover, memory for the original version of the statement was weakened after medium-strong prediction errors, which resulted from the interplay of modification extent and strength of previous memory. After strong prediction errors, both original and modification were well-remembered. Prediction errors thus play a role in keeping representations of statements and therefore socially relevant knowledge about others up to date.
Despite literature showing that errorful generation with corrective feedback enhances retention better than mere studying, it is unclear if this benefit depends on the composition of the learning list (pure error generat...Despite literature showing that errorful generation with corrective feedback enhances retention better than mere studying, it is unclear if this benefit depends on the composition of the learning list (pure error generation/read versus mixed). Here, we investigated whether the mnemonic advantage and metamnemonic evaluation of errorful generation generalise beyond mixed-list designs. Experiment 1 used a free-recall test, while Experiments 2 and 3 used a cued-recall test, with Experiment 3 also including a judgment of learning (JOL) assessment. Only when memory was tested via free recall did the benefit of errorful generation depend on experimental design, with the effect being most robust in mixed lists. Replicating past research, we too found that despite a clear mnemonic benefit for error generation in cued-recall tests, participants predicted better memory following read-only trials, and that this effect was not contingent on list composition. At the practical level, these findings demonstrate instances in which errorful generation is beneficial for memory and learning. At the theoretical level, the results fit nicely within the item-order framework in accounting for commonly observed design effects in free recall.
The Think/No-Think (TNT) task examines the effects of attempts at suppressing particular stimuli. First, participants learn cue-target word pairs. Subsequently, they either recall (Think trials) or avoid thinking about t...The Think/No-Think (TNT) task examines the effects of attempts at suppressing particular stimuli. First, participants learn cue-target word pairs. Subsequently, they either recall (Think trials) or avoid thinking about targets whatsoever (No-Think trials) in response to cues. The critical finding is that No-Think targets are recalled less well than Baseline items (i.e., Suppression-Induced Forgetting; SIF). Wiechert et al.'s [(2023). Suppression-induced forgetting: A pre-registered replication of the think/no-think paradigm. , 31(7), 989-1002] null-findings in Prolific workers using online video calls casted doubts on the robustness of the effect. We adapted their procedure in two replication studies testing undergraduate psychology students. The first study ( = 54) adapted Wiechert's procedure to an in-person laboratory setting using Same Probe (SP) recall and found evidence for SIF. Hypothesizing that an online test should yield SIF in undergraduates as well, study 2 replicated both the in-person laboratory ( = 54) and online ( = 54) procedures. The results suggested evidence for SIF in the in-lab setting, yet no evidence was observed in the online setting. As exploratory Bayesian analyses showed conclusive evidence for a null effect, this pattern of results does not imply that the in-lab and online settings actually differed. Yet, overall, the results cast doubts on the generalisability of the SIF-effect .
The effortful process of retrieving information from memory has been established as an effective strategy for improving student learning. However, we have a limited understanding of the development of retrieval practice...The effortful process of retrieving information from memory has been established as an effective strategy for improving student learning. However, we have a limited understanding of the development of retrieval practice in children, including contexts that may scaffold its benefit. In the current pre-registered study, we examined whether the use of hints during retrieval practice improved free recall in an online science learning task in 8- to 13-years-olds ( = 77, = 36). We found partial evidence supporting the provision of hints as boosting the benefit of retrieval practice. Children's long-term retention of science facts was higher when they received hints during an earlier practice test compared to restudying information, but not compared to a test only condition without hints. Furthermore, we found similar effects across both age and levels of confidence, suggesting that retrieval practice remains stable across these factors.
Memories for life events are thought to be organised based on their relationships with one another, affecting the order in which events are recalled such that similar events tend to be recalled together. However, less is...Memories for life events are thought to be organised based on their relationships with one another, affecting the order in which events are recalled such that similar events tend to be recalled together. However, less is known about how detailed recall for a given event is affected by its associations to other events. Here, we used a cued autobiographical memory recall task where participants verbally recalled events corresponding to personal photographs. Importantly, we characterised the temporal, spatial, and semantic associations between each event to assess how similarity between adjacently cued events affected detailed recall. We found that participants provided more non-episodic details for cued events when the preceding event was both semantically similar and either temporally or spatially dissimilar. However, similarity along time, space, or semantics between adjacent events did not affect the episodic details recalled. We interpret this by considering organisation at the level of a life narrative, rather than individual events. When recalling a stream of personal events, we may feel obligated to justify seeming discrepancies between adjacent events that are semantically similar, yet simultaneously temporally or spatially dissimilar - to do so, we provide additional supplementary detail to help maintain global coherence across the events in our lives.
Flashbulb memories (FBM) refer to the vivid and detailed retrieval of the reception context of a highly salient event. We examined FBMs and personal memories for one college's sudden transition to remote learning due to...Flashbulb memories (FBM) refer to the vivid and detailed retrieval of the reception context of a highly salient event. We examined FBMs and personal memories for one college's sudden transition to remote learning due to COVID-19. We explored whether the announcement of the campus' closure resulted in FBMs, how respondents felt about the decision, and the impacts of the decision. Employing a two-wave longitudinal survey conducted in March and May 2020, participants responded to questions regarding learning about the campus' closure and a control memory (an event from the same week chosen by participants). Participant reports suggested they did form FBMs, and FBMs were more consistent over time than control memories. Confidence did not differ across memory types. Additionally, we observed an initial strong positive response to the decision to close the campus - a sentiment that intensified over time. Lastly, participants' emotional responses transitioned from negative feelings in the first wave of testing to more neutral feelings in the second. This work offers a unique exploration of FBMs within the broader context of a global health crisis that intruded into daily life, effectively merging the typically public and distant nature of flashbulb events with first-hand, personal experience.