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During sleep, recently acquired episodic memories (i.e., autobiographical memories for specific events) are strengthened and transformed, a process termed consolidation. These memories are contextual in nature, with details of specific features interwoven with more general properties such as the time and place of the event. In this study, we hypothesized that the context in which a memory is embedded would guide the process of consolidation during sleep. To test this idea, we used a spatial memory task and considered changes in memory over a 10-h period including either sleep or wake. In both conditions, participants ( N = 62) formed stories that contextually bound four objects together and then encoded the on-screen spatial position of all objects. Results showed that the changes in memory over the sleep period were correlated among contextually linked objects, whereas no such effect was identified for the wake group. These results demonstrate that context-binding plays an important role in memory consolidation during sleep.
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A little imprecision goes a long way in launching memory development
Abstract From the earliest moments in their lives, infants begin to build memories about their past and accumulate knowledge about the world. In this article, we focus on the distinction between memory forspecificevents and memory forgeneralinformation, and the ongoing debate about which type of memory provides the foundation for the development of the other. Some researchers argue that specific memory developmentally precedes general memory, whereas others support the opposite position. Our literature review suggests that the latter position is inconsistent with many empirical findings and theoretical principles of memory captured by computational models capable of accounting for these findings. We propose thatjust good enoughmnemonic acuity could be a starting point for memory development, and that it can support both specific and generalized memories.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1847603
- PAR ID:
- 10644938
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Child Development Perspectives
- Volume:
- 19
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 1750-8592
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: p. 139-145
- Size(s):
- p. 139-145
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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