Does Previewing Overlapping Information Aid the Formation of Indirect Associations?
Mentor 1
Caitlin Bowman
Start Date
28-4-2023 12:00 AM
Description
Associative memory provides individuals the ability to integrate across related experiences. It is an important cognitive function and can be used to better understand how individuals build knowledge from information encountered at different times. For example, imagine encountering someone walking a dog in the park one day and a different person walking the same dog the next day. From those two experiences, you might form an association between the two people that you never actually saw together. The current study asked whether manipulating exposure to overlapping objects influences the ability to form indirect associations? During the first portion of the study phase, participants learned pairs of objects. In the second portion of the study phase, participants learned new object pairs consisting of one new object and one object that overlapped with a previously learned pair. Critically, we manipulated exposure time to these objects such that the overlapping object was presented two seconds before, at the same time, or two seconds after the new object. For study phases, participants were instructed to try and form mental images of the two items together. After the study phases, participants completed a testing phase where they were tested on the direct and indirect pairs from the study phase. We predict that presenting the overlapping object two seconds prior to the new object will increase performance on indirect pairs because participants will be able to use that time to retrieve the original pairing. They can then form a memory for all three items together with the new item. Results of this study can be used in later studies to address age deficits in indirect associations of objects between younger and older adults. Results will also provide insight as to how a preview exposure time of an overlapping stimulus can improve the learning of indirect pairs.
Does Previewing Overlapping Information Aid the Formation of Indirect Associations?
Associative memory provides individuals the ability to integrate across related experiences. It is an important cognitive function and can be used to better understand how individuals build knowledge from information encountered at different times. For example, imagine encountering someone walking a dog in the park one day and a different person walking the same dog the next day. From those two experiences, you might form an association between the two people that you never actually saw together. The current study asked whether manipulating exposure to overlapping objects influences the ability to form indirect associations? During the first portion of the study phase, participants learned pairs of objects. In the second portion of the study phase, participants learned new object pairs consisting of one new object and one object that overlapped with a previously learned pair. Critically, we manipulated exposure time to these objects such that the overlapping object was presented two seconds before, at the same time, or two seconds after the new object. For study phases, participants were instructed to try and form mental images of the two items together. After the study phases, participants completed a testing phase where they were tested on the direct and indirect pairs from the study phase. We predict that presenting the overlapping object two seconds prior to the new object will increase performance on indirect pairs because participants will be able to use that time to retrieve the original pairing. They can then form a memory for all three items together with the new item. Results of this study can be used in later studies to address age deficits in indirect associations of objects between younger and older adults. Results will also provide insight as to how a preview exposure time of an overlapping stimulus can improve the learning of indirect pairs.
