The influence of memory on approach and avoidance decisions: Investigating the role of episodic memory in social decision making

Kadwe, Pranjal P.; Sklenar, Allison M.; Frankenstein, Andrea N.; Levy, Pauline Urban; Leshikar, Eric D.

doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105072

Cited by 14 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Barring an unusually surprising outcome, however, people may rely on existing schemas to process incoming information to understand their environment. Overall, this investigation adds to work in other domains suggesting that memory serves an adaptive function (Bell & Buchner, 2012;Kadwe et al, 2022;Meyer et al, 2020;Nairne et al, 2007;Sklenar et al, 2021;Udeogu et al, 2022;Villasenor et al, 2021), which may allow people to successfully navigate their social world.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

The reciprocal relationship between episodic memory and future thinking: How the outcome of predictions is subsequently remembered

et al. 2022

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Evidence suggests that memory is involved in making simulations and predictions about the future (i.e., future thinking), but less work has examined how the outcome of those predictions (whether events play out as predicted or expected) subsequently affects episodic memory. In this investigation, we examine whether memory is better for outcomes that are consistent with predictions, or whether memory is enhanced for outcomes that are inconsistent with predictions, after the predicted event occurs. In this experiment, participants learned a core trait associated with social targets (e.g., high in extroversion), before making predictions about behaviors targets would perform. Participants then were shown behaviors the social targets actually performed (i.e., prediction outcome), which was either consistent or inconsistent with predictions.After that, participants completed a memory test (recognition; recall) for the prediction outcomes. For recognition, the results revealed better memory for outcomes that were consistent with traits associated with targets (i.e., trait-consistent outcomes), compared to outcomes that were inconsistent (i.e., trait-inconsistent outcomes). Finding a memory advantage for trait-consistent outcomes suggests that outcomes that are in line with the contents of memory (e.g., what one knows; schemas) are more readily remembered than those that are inconsistent with memory, which may reflect an adaptive memory process. For recall, memory did not differ between trait-consistent and trait-inconsistent outcomes. Altogether, the results of this experiment advance understanding of the reciprocal relationship between episodic memory and future thinking and show that outcome of predictions has an influence on subsequent episodic memory, at least as measured by recognition.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

The reciprocal relationship between episodic memory and future thinking: How the outcome of predictions is subsequently remembered

et al. 2022

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“…In addition to improved item memory for lower versus higher constraint conditions, we also found that item memory was better for items processed in both testing conditions (lower, higher constraint) compared to controls (restudy, study‐only), which is consistent with a vast literature showing that testing (or retrieval practice) improves item memory (Adesope et al., 2017 ; Glover, 1989 ; Roediger & Karpicke, 2006 ; Rowland, 2014 ). Finding ways to improve memory is an important scientific endeavor (Bjork & Bjork, 2011 ; Burden et al., 2021 ; Frankenstein et al., 2020 , 2022 ; Ilenikhena et al., 2021 ; Kadwe et al., 2022 ; Leshikar, In Press ; Leshikar et al., 2019 , 2017 ; Leshikar, Park, et al., 2015 ; Matzen et al., 2015 ; Patel et al., 2022 ; Sklenar et al., 2022 , 2021 , 2023 ; Udeogu et al., 2022 ; Urban Levy et al., 2023 ; Villasenor et al., 2021 ), and the results of this investigation add to that cause.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lower constraint testing enhances the testing effect for some contextual details but not others

Giannakopoulos,

McCurdy,

Sklenar

et al. 2024

Brain and Behavior

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IntroductionRetrieval practice has been shown to be an effective means of learning new information, a memory phenomenon known as the testing effect or the retrieval practice effect. Some work suggests that the magnitude of the testing effect can be enhanced when the test used for retrieval practice uses fewer cues to retrieve previously studied information. It is unclear, however, whether such testing benefits extend to peripheral contextual details associated with studied materials (e.g., location where stimuli appear, font color in which items are presented, etc.). In this experiment, we examine both item memory (i.e., memory for the studied items) and context memory under conditions where the intervening test offers fewer cues (i.e., lower constraint) compared to more cues (higher constraint) to better understand item and context memory testing effects.MethodsParticipants first studied word pairs presented in one of eight locations as well as in either red or green font color. Then, in the re‐exposure phase, participants processed materials in two types of intervening tests (lower constraint and a higher constraint test) as well as in a restudy condition, before a final memory test.ResultsFor item memory, results showed that memory was better in the lower constraint testing condition compared to both the higher constraint testing condition as well as the restudy (control) condition. For context memory, results indicated improved memory for location context under lower constraint testing compared to both higher constraint testing and restudy conditions. There was no difference in memory, however, for color context across all conditions.ConclusionOverall, these findings suggest that providing fewer cues to aid retrieval in the intervening test can induce better memory for both items as well as some contextual details.

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“…Although speculative, it may be that remembering prosocial targets may guide future behaviors and induce tendencies to approach targets who might help the self. Intriguingly, recent work has started to show that memory does indeed play an essential role in social decisions, such as deciding to approach or avoid targets (Kadwe et al, 2022;Sklenar et al, 2021Sklenar et al, , 2022, and so it may be that our finding of improved memory for targets associated with prosocial behaviors may guide future behaviors to seek targets who might benefit the self. Understanding how memory may be adaptive and guide future goal-directed behavior is an increasingly studied topic (Bell & Buchner, 2012;Frankenstein et al, 2020;Meyers et al, 2020;Nairne & Pandeirada, 2008;Nairne et al, 2007;Patel et al, 2022;Udeogu et al, 2022;Villaseñor et al, 2021), and the data from these experiments may reflect another way in which memory can be used adaptively.…”

Section: In Addition To Finding Improved Impression Memory For Targetsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Evidence for a memory advantage for prosocial behaviors

et al. 2023

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Introduction Prior work in the memory domain has shown that certain social information is especially well‐remembered such as information for social targets who cheat. Less work, however, has investigated the extent people remember information for social targets who engage in prosocial behaviors (e.g., helping) in social interactions. The current investigation examines whether there is a memory advantage for social targets who perform prosocial behaviors. Methods Across two experiments, participants formed impressions of social targets engaging in prosocial and non‐prosocial behaviors. Participants were then tested on their memory for the impression as well as the specific behavior each social target performed. Results Results of Experiment 1 showed that memory for impressions was better for social targets engaging in prosocial compared to non‐prosocial behaviors. Results of Experiment 2 showed marginally better behavior memory for targets performing prosocial compared to non‐prosocial behaviors. Conclusion Overall, results of both experiments provide converging evidence of a prosocial advantage in memory, which suggests that people are attuned to prosocial behaviors exhibited by others in the social domain.

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The influence of memory on approach and avoidance decisions: Investigating the role of episodic memory in social decision making

Cited by 14 publications

References 45 publications

The reciprocal relationship between episodic memory and future thinking: How the outcome of predictions is subsequently remembered

The reciprocal relationship between episodic memory and future thinking: How the outcome of predictions is subsequently remembered

Lower constraint testing enhances the testing effect for some contextual details but not others

Evidence for a memory advantage for prosocial behaviors

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