Schedule of Events | Symposia

When practice doesn’t make perfect: Retrieving real-word memories strengthens reviewed content and semantic links without broader episodic changes

Poster Session C - Sunday, March 30, 2025, 5:00 – 7:00 pm EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Lauren Homann¹ (lauren.homann@mail.utoronto.ca), Mursal Jahed¹, Jessica Sun¹, Jia Gu¹, Simran Grewal¹, Morgan Barense^1,2; ¹University of Toronto, ²Rotman Research Institute

Retrieval practice (i.e., actively retrieving information from memory) is one of the most robust methods of modifying and bolstering memory. However, a comprehensive investigation of how this technique influences complex, personally meaningful memories—consisting of intricately interrelated and interdependent content—is lacking, leaving the full picture of retrieval practice’s impact on memory incomplete. To address this gap, the current study extended a conventional retrieval practice paradigm by applying it to a rich staged event. Specifically, we explored the various ways memory may be altered when participants practice retrieving verifiable real-world event details without feedback, compared to merely restudying (i.e., passively reviewing) the same information. When examining the testing effect in its traditional form, the retrieval group outperformed the restudy group on a delayed memory test involving the same verifiable cued-recall questions presented during event review sessions, provided they had correctly recalled the answers during the review sessions. Surprisingly, retrieval practice did not enhance or distort broader episodic event memory, as shown across various measures, including free recall narratives (scored for event-specific details, memory accuracy, memory errors, and temporal organization), questions probing verifiable event details that participants had never reviewed, and self-reported memory phenomenology metrics. Interestingly, participants in the retrieval group included more personal and general semantic details in their free recall narratives, potentially reflecting enhanced integration of the event with prior knowledge structures. This work provides meaningful insights into the limits of retrieval practice’s effectiveness, informs mechanistic theories of retrieval, and highlights the importance of studying complex mnemonic content.

Topic Area: LONG-TERM MEMORY: Episodic