Reconsolidation and Retrieval Induced Forgetting (RIF)

Question 1

Reconsolidation

Answer 1

Idea that reactivating a memory puts it in a labile state, reactivated memories need to be stabilized through reconsolidation

Question 2

Reconsolidation Window

Answer 2

Period of time where the memory is fragile again

Question 3

Rat Study (Misanin, Miller & Lewis, 1968)

Answer 3

Fear conditioned rats given electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) (4 conditions altogether)
Group 1: ECT immediately after fear conditioning: high lick rate when stimulus is presented, no fear
Group 2: ECT 24 hours after fear conditioning (synaptic consolidation complete) : high lick rate when stimulus presented, no fear
Shows that ECT immediately after conditioning or ECT along with reactivation following consolidation can disrupt a memory earlier formed for a fear stimulus

Question 4

Reconsolidation Timing in Animals

Answer 4

Begins 3-10 minutes after memory is reactivated
Mostly takes place within 2 hours
Complete by 6 hours

Question 5

Procedural Reconsolidation in Humans (Walker, Brakefield, Hobson & Stickgold, 2003) Finger Tapping

Answer 5

Day 1: learn finger tapping sequence
Day 2: Learn second sequence
Group A: learn second sequence after reactivating memory for day 1
Group B: learn second sequence without reactivating the first
Day 3: test memory for day 1 sequence - Group A made significantly more errors; evident that reactivating the first memory put it in a labile state allowing disruption

Question 6

Episodic Reconsolidation in Humans (Hupbach, Gomez, Hardt & Nadel, 2007) Object Lists

Answer 6

Day 1: shown list of objects
Day 2:
Group A: reminded of day 1 objects then learn 20 more
Group B: no reactivation, just learn 20 more objects
During recall of day 1 list, group A had significantly more intrusions from the day 2 list

Question 7

Limitations of Reconsolidation Models

Answer 7

Suzuki et al (2004): weak memories are easier to change via reconsolidation
Sevenster et al (2012): reactivation is not enough for the reconsolidation of fear memories

Question 8

Taubenfeld et al (2001) Animal Studies on the Brain Areas Involved in Reconsolidation

Answer 8

Dorsal hippocmapus: protein synthesis is crucial for consolidation but not reconsolidation
IMPLIES: two processes are different as they require different brain ares and molecular mechanisms

Question 9

Real World Implications of Reconsolidation

Answer 9

Enhance memories: reconsolidation has a time window so spacing learning could be more efficient
Disrupt memories: help those with maladaptive memories e.g. PTSD
Can explain false memory effects e.g. memory conformity when discussing with other witnesses

Question 10

RIF: Retrieval-Practice Paradigm

Answer 10

Stage 1: study category pairs e.g. fruit - banana
Stage 2: retrieval practice:given category (fruit) and the first few letters of pair word e.g. ora….. Prompts memory search
Stage 3: recall examples remembered from cateogry
Practiced items had better recall BUT the control group who didn’t practice had better recall on Group A’s unpracticed words
-IMPLIES: practice boosts the practiced items but damages the unpracticed items

Question 11

Real-World RIF: Criminal Justice System (Shaw et al, 1995)

Answer 11

View slides of post-robbery apartment
Then involved in interview and asked about some of the specific items in the slides
Memory for the items not interviewed about was worse than the control subjects who were not interviewed at all = RIF effects
Implications for police questioning

Question 12

Social RIF (Conroy and Slamos, 2006)

Answer 12

Children took part in variation of pirate themed activities
For the next few days the children discussed some of the activities with the researchers
On the final day they did recall for all events: memory was worse for non-discussed events
Implication: are our childhood memories determined by what our parents and teachers discuss with us

Question 13

RIF Mechanisms: Associative Blocking

Answer 13

Cue word becomes strongly associated with the competitor word, each recall strengthens the association therefore it is harder to remember the target word due to interference from the competitor

Question 14

RIF Mechanisms: Associative Unlearning

Answer 14

Association between cue and target is weakened each time it is incorrectly recalled: unlearned

Question 15

RIF Mechanisms: Inhibition

Answer 15

Sometimes it’s maladaptive for strong memories to be recalled so we inhibit them

Question 16

Inhibition or Unlearning?

Answer 16

If inhibited: responding with the target word should be reduced - cue independent
If unlearned: forgetting should be confined to word pairs used during retrieval practice - cue dependent