Updating the meaning of a word: Memory reactivation boosts integration into an existing memory trace

LAURA KACZER; JULIETA LAURINO; CHAVES J; C FORCATO; M.E. PEDREIRA

Chicago

Congreso; SfN2019; 2019

SfN

Words are extremely malleable memories, subject to updating and modification. However, the mechanisms that allow this plasticity remain unclear. While memory reconsolidation has been implied in memory updating, its role has not been addressed in the context of lexical-semantic learning. In this study we analyzed the contribution of memory reactivation to the process of a word?s meaning updating. In four different experiments (N=128), native speakers of Spanish (19-35 years) learned either familiar or low-frequency words within their native language (Spanish), with their corresponding definitions (List 1). The following day, Reactivation groups were exposed to a reminder, consisting of the list of words they learnt the previous day, but with no chance of giving a response (thus increasing the prediction error). No Reactivation groups, on the other hand, did not receive a reminder. After this, all participants learned a new list of unrelated meanings for the words learned the previous day (List 2). Finally, memory retention was evaluated 48 hours or 7 days after training, using two procedures: a cued-recall test, and a semantic judgement task. Results were analyzed using a linear mixed-model. In the explicit recall task, our data show that memory for updated meanings is marginally enhanced by the reminder presentation one week after training. In the priming task, a significant enhancement of semantic recognition speed is revealed in the Reactivation group. Thus, memory reactivation might be one of the mechanisms that allow the rebuilding of the mental lexicon.