Aversive learning strengthens episodic memory in both adolescents and adults.

ABSTRACT: Adolescence is often filled with positive and negative emotional experiences that may change how individuals remember and respond to stimuli in their environment. In adults, aversive events can both enhance memory for associated stimuli as well as generalize to enhance memory for unreinforced but conceptually related stimuli. The present study tested whether learned aversive associations similarly lead to better memory and generalization across a category of stimuli in adolescents. Participants completed an olfactory Pavlovian category conditioning task in which trial-unique exemplars from one of two categories were partially reinforced with an aversive odor. Participants then returned 24 h later to complete a recognition memory test. We found better corrected recognition memory for the re

SUBMITTER: Cohen AO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6581005 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature