Reconsolidation and interference mechanisms in episodic memory updating
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54359/6qde4x11Abstract
Episodic memories are adaptive and malleable, and several mechanisms have been proposed to explain how they are updated. Previous research has contrasted the reconsolidation and retroactive interference hypotheses, based on the idea that reconsolidation requires reactivation of prior memories, whereas interference does not. However, the effectiveness of reactivation procedures remains controversial. Therefore, the current study employed an alternative criterion to differentiate between these mechanisms. According to the reconsolidation hypothesis, the original memory is modified by the intrusion of new information. In contrast, the interference hypothesis posits that new and old memories coexist independently and may become confused during retrieval due to their similarity. Therefore, we hypothesized that if interference is the operative mechanism, matching spatial contexts during encoding and retrieval (e.g., identical rooms or images thereof) would serve as cues for both memories, thereby increasing the likelihood of the newer memory intruding upon the older one. Conversely, if reconsolidation is at play, changes in the spatial retrieval context would not affect recall accuracy, as the memories would already be integrated. To test the hypothesis, two experiments were conducted using the “3d-list-interference” paradigm. Semantic relatedness between word lists was controlled, and participants’ emotional states were also considered. The pilot study involved 85 participants (73 female), aged 18 to 41 years (M = 22.02, SD = 4.25). No significant group differences were found, possibly due to insufficient distinctiveness between the encoding and retrieval spatial contexts and imbalanced word lists. The stimulus materials were therefore revised. The main experiment involved 122 participants (94 female), aged 18 to 54 years (M = 23.16, SD = 5.56). Here, both spatial context and semantic relatedness significantly affected recall accuracy. However, the results were contrary to the predictions of the interference mechanism: recall accuracy for List 1 was lower in the condition with matching spatial contexts and semantically unrelated lists than in all other conditions. These findings are discussed in terms of state-dependent memory, considering the influence of both external (spatial) and internal (emotional) contextual factors.
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