Open AccessAdaptive Repulsion of Long-Term Memory Representations Is Triggered by Event Similarity
Author(s) -
Avi J. H. Chanales,
Alexandra G Tremblay-McGaw,
Maxwell L Drascher,
Brice A. Kuhl
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
psychological science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.641
H-Index - 260
eISSN - 1467-9280
pISSN - 0956-7976
DOI - 10.1177/0956797620972490
Subject(s) - similarity (geometry) , psychology , object (grammar) , interference theory , interference (communication) , event (particle physics) , cognitive psychology , memoria , associative property , term (time) , content addressable memory , communication , artificial intelligence , working memory , cognition , computer science , neuroscience , mathematics , image (mathematics) , artificial neural network , computer network , channel (broadcasting) , physics , quantum mechanics , pure mathematics
We tested whether similarity between events triggers adaptive biases in how those events are remembered. We generated pairs of competing objects that were identical except in color and varied the degree of color similarity for the competing objects. Subjects ( N = 123 across four experiments) repeatedly studied and were tested on associations between each of these objects and corresponding faces. As expected, high color similarity between competing objects created memory interference for object-face associations. Strikingly, high color similarity also resulted in a systematic bias in how the objects themselves were remembered: Competing objects with highly similar colors were remembered as being further apart (in color space) than they actually were. This repulsion of color memories increased with learning and served a clear adaptive purpose: Greater repulsion was associated with lower associative-memory interference. These findings reveal that similarity between events triggers adaptive-memory distortions that minimize interference.