The structure of prior knowledge enhances memory in experts by reducing interference.
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| Title: | The structure of prior knowledge enhances memory in experts by reducing interference. |
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| Authors: | Wing, Erik A.1 ewing@research.baycrest.org, Burles, Ford1, Ryan, Jennifer D.1,2, Gilboa, Asaf1,2,3 |
| Source: | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 6/28/2022, Vol. 119 Issue 26, p1-10. 23p. |
| Subjects: | Color of birds, Prior learning, Episodic memory, Recognition (Psychology), Memory |
| Abstract: | The influence of prior knowledge on memory is ubiquitous, making the specific mechanisms of this relationship difficult to disentangle. Here, we show that expert knowledge produces a fundamental shift in the way that interitem similarity (i.e., the perceived resemblance between items in a set) biases episodic recognition. Within a group of expert birdwatchers and matched controls, we characterized the psychological similarity space for a set of well-known local species and a set of less familiar, nonlocal species. In experts, interitem similarity was influenced most strongly by taxonomic features, whereas in controls, similarity judgments reflected bird color. In controls, perceived episodic oldness during a recognition memory task increased along with measures of global similarity between items, consistent with classic models of episodic recognition. Surprisingly, for experts, high global similarity did not drive oldness signals. Instead, for local birds memory tracked the availability of species-level name knowledge, whereas for nonlocal birds, it was mediated by the organization of generalized conceptual space. These findings demonstrate that episodic memory in experts can benefit from detailed subcategory knowledge, or, lacking that, from the overall relational structure of concepts. Expertise reshapes psychological similarity space, helping to resolve mnemonic separation challenges arising from high interitem overlap. Thus, even in the absence of knowledge about item-specific details or labels, the presence of generalized knowledge appears to support episodic recognition in domains of expertise by altering the typical relationship between psychological similarity and memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America is the property of National Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 157735198 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: The structure of prior knowledge enhances memory in experts by reducing interference. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wing%2C+Erik+A%2E%22">Wing, Erik A.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> ewing@research.baycrest.org</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Burles%2C+Ford%22">Burles, Ford</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ryan%2C+Jennifer+D%2E%22">Ryan, Jennifer D.</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gilboa%2C+Asaf%22">Gilboa, Asaf</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2,3</relatesTo> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Proceedings+of+the+National+Academy+of+Sciences+of+the+United+States+of+America%22">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America</searchLink>. 6/28/2022, Vol. 119 Issue 26, p1-10. 23p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Color+of+birds%22">Color of birds</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prior+learning%22">Prior learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Episodic+memory%22">Episodic memory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Recognition+%28Psychology%29%22">Recognition (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Memory%22">Memory</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: The influence of prior knowledge on memory is ubiquitous, making the specific mechanisms of this relationship difficult to disentangle. Here, we show that expert knowledge produces a fundamental shift in the way that interitem similarity (i.e., the perceived resemblance between items in a set) biases episodic recognition. Within a group of expert birdwatchers and matched controls, we characterized the psychological similarity space for a set of well-known local species and a set of less familiar, nonlocal species. In experts, interitem similarity was influenced most strongly by taxonomic features, whereas in controls, similarity judgments reflected bird color. In controls, perceived episodic oldness during a recognition memory task increased along with measures of global similarity between items, consistent with classic models of episodic recognition. Surprisingly, for experts, high global similarity did not drive oldness signals. Instead, for local birds memory tracked the availability of species-level name knowledge, whereas for nonlocal birds, it was mediated by the organization of generalized conceptual space. These findings demonstrate that episodic memory in experts can benefit from detailed subcategory knowledge, or, lacking that, from the overall relational structure of concepts. Expertise reshapes psychological similarity space, helping to resolve mnemonic separation challenges arising from high interitem overlap. Thus, even in the absence of knowledge about item-specific details or labels, the presence of generalized knowledge appears to support episodic recognition in domains of expertise by altering the typical relationship between psychological similarity and memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America is the property of National Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1073/pnas.2204172119 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 23 StartPage: 1 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Color of birds Type: general – SubjectFull: Prior learning Type: general – SubjectFull: Episodic memory Type: general – SubjectFull: Recognition (Psychology) Type: general – SubjectFull: Memory Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: The structure of prior knowledge enhances memory in experts by reducing interference. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Wing, Erik A. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Burles, Ford – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Ryan, Jennifer D. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Gilboa, Asaf IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 28 M: 06 Text: 6/28/2022 Type: published Y: 2022 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00278424 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 119 – Type: issue Value: 26 Titles: – TitleFull: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Type: main |
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