Semantic relatedness proactively benefits learning, memory, and interdependence across episodes.

ABSTRACT: Over the past century of memory research, the interplay between initial and later-learned information in determining long-term memory retention has been of central interest. A likely factor for determining whether initial and later memories interfere with or strengthen each other is semantic relatedness. Relatedness has been shown to retroactively boost initial memory and increase the interdependence between earlier and more recent experiences in memory. Here, we investigated the converse relationship of how relatedness proactively affects later memory for paired associates. In five experiments (N=1000 total), we varied the relatedness between initial and later cues, initial and later targets, or both. Across experiments and conditions, relatedness profoundly benefited later-

SUBMITTER: Bennion KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11630824 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature