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Pan Y, Hao N, Liu N, Zhao Y, Cheng X, Ku Y, Hu Y. Mnemonic-trained brain tuning to a regular odd-even pattern subserves digit memory in children. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2023; 8:27. [PMID: 37567915 PMCID: PMC10421878 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-023-00177-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
It is said that our species use mnemonics - that "magic of memorization" - to engrave an enormous amount of information in the brain. Yet, it is unclear how mnemonics affect memory and what the neural underpinnings are. In this electroencephalography study, we examined the hypotheses whether mnemonic training improved processing-efficiency and/or altered encoding-pattern to support memory enhancement. By 22-day training of a digit-image mnemonic (a custom memory technique used by world-class mnemonists), a group of children showed increased short-term memory after training, but with limited gain generalization. This training resulted in regular odd-even neural patterns (i.e., enhanced P200 and theta power during the encoding of digits at even- versus odd- positions in a sequence). Critically, the P200 and theta power effects predicted the training-induced memory improvement. These findings provide evidence of how mnemonics alter encoding pattern, as reflected in functional brain organization, to support memory enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafeng Pan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- The State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ning Hao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ning Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- School of Psychology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
| | - Yijie Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaojun Cheng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yixuan Ku
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen Unviersity, Guangzhou, China.
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Yi Hu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
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2
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Haj ME, Kessels RPC, Urso L, Nandrino JL. Chunking to improve verbal forward spans in Korsakoff's syndrome. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2020; 27:150-157. [PMID: 30183427 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2018.1499023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Chunking is a mnemonic strategy that involves organizing information into appropriate units. Our article examined the use of this strategy on forward and backward span performance in Korsakoff's syndrome. Fifteen patients with Korsakoff's syndrome and 17 age-and-education matched healthy controls participated to the study. Digit span performance (both forward and backward) was tested before and after chunking training. Results demonstrated an increased performance on the forward spans after chunking training in the patients with Korsakoff's syndrome, but no beneficial effect was observed on the backward spans in these participants. Controls demonstrated a chunking effect on both forward and backward span performance. Our findings suggest that a simple training in chunking may be useful as part of a cognitive strategy training for improving working memory performance in patients with Korsakoff's syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad El Haj
- Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire (EA 4638), Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Centre Hospitalier de Tourcoing, Unité de Gériatrie, Tourcoing, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Roy P C Kessels
- Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Donders Institute for Brain, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Centre for Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Laurent Urso
- Service d'addictologie, Centre Hospitalier de Roubaix, Roubaix, France
| | - Jean Louis Nandrino
- CNRS CHU Lille, et UMR 9193 - SCALab - Sciences Cognitives Sciences Affectives, Univ. Lille, Lille, France
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3
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Yoon JS, Harper J, Boot WR, Gong Y, Bernat EM. Neural Evidence of Superior Memory: How to Capture Brain Activities of Encoding Processes Underlying Superior Memory. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:310. [PMID: 31551737 PMCID: PMC6738098 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Relatively little attention has been paid to the neural basis of superior memory despite its potential in providing important insight into efforts to improve memory in the general population or to offset age-related cognitive decline. The current study reports a rare opportunity to reproduce and isolate specific neural activities directly associated with exceptional memory. To capture the brain processes responsible for superior memory, we returned to a laboratory task and analytic approach used to explore the nature of exceptional memory, namely, digit-span task combined with verbal protocol analysis. One participant with average memory received approximately 50 h of digit-span training and the participant's digit-span increased from normative (8 digits) to exceptional (30 digits). Event-related potentials were recorded while the participant's digit span increased from 19 to 30 digits. Protocol analysis allowed us to identify direct behavioral indices of idiosyncratic encoding processes underlying the superior memory performance. EEG indices directly corresponding to the behavioral indices of encoding processes were identified. The results suggest that the early attention-related encoding processes were reflected in theta and delta whereas the later attention-independent encoding processes were reflected in time-domain slow-wave. This fine-grained approach offers new insights into studying neural mechanism mediating superior memory and the cognitive effort necessary to develop it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Sung Yoon
- Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States
| | - Jeremy Harper
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Walter R. Boot
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Yanfei Gong
- Shanghai Academy of Educational Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Edward M. Bernat
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
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4
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Reggente N, Essoe JKY, Baek HY, Rissman J. The Method of Loci in Virtual Reality: Explicit Binding of Objects to Spatial Contexts Enhances Subsequent Memory Recall. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-019-00141-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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5
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Randolph JJ. Positive neuropsychology: The science and practice of promoting cognitive health. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY-ADULT 2018; 25:287-294. [PMID: 29781728 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2018.1457465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Positive psychology has influenced multiple subfields within psychology and areas outside of psychology. While positive psychology's focus on positive mental health and character strengths did not appear to meaningfully impact neuropsychology in its earlier stages, more recent indications suggest that the neuropsychological literature, and perhaps the field as a whole, has begun to embrace related research and practice applications. In this context, positive neuropsychology has emerged as a neuropsychological orientation focused on the study and practice of promoting cognitive health. The present review discusses the origins of positive neuropsychology and elaborates on its six key evidence-based domains: compensatory strategy use, activity engagement, prevention of cognitive impairment, public education, exceptional cognition, and positive cognitive outcomes in neuropsychiatric populations. This broad perspective on cognitive wellness can easily be embraced by both clinicians and researchers and offers multiple directions for future growth. Ultimately, consideration of various methods to promote cognitive health can inform our understanding of optimal brain function, maximize functioning in individuals with cognitive limitations, and enhance quality of life among populations served by neuropsychologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Randolph
- a Department of Psychiatry , Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth , Lebanon , New Hampshire , USA
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6
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Yoon JS, Anders Ericsson K, Donatelli D. Effects of 30 Years of Disuse on Exceptional Memory Performance. Cogn Sci 2017; 42 Suppl 3:884-903. [PMID: 29105154 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In the mid-1980s, Dario Donatelli (DD) participated in a laboratory study of the effects of around 800 h of practice on digit-span and increased his digit-span from 8 to 104 digits. This study assessed changes in the structure of his memory skill after around 30 years of essentially no practice on the digit-span task. On the first day of testing, his estimated span was only 10 digits, but over the following 3 days of testing it increased to 19 digits. Further analyses of his recall performance and verbal reports identified which mechanisms of the original memory skill he could retrieve or reacquire over the 3 days of practice. We discuss theoretical implications for the retention of skilled memory performance, the effects of age-related changes in memory on it, and for the future study of the effects of disuse on exceptional performance and complex skill.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dario Donatelli
- Department of Athletics and Physical Education, Carnegie Mellon University
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7
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Pan Y, Li X, Chen X, Ku Y, Dong Y, Dou Z, He L, Hu Y, Li W, Zhou X. ERPs and oscillations during encoding predict retrieval of digit memory in superior mnemonists. Brain Cogn 2017; 117:17-25. [PMID: 28697376 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2017.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 06/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have consistently demonstrated that superior mnemonists (SMs) outperform normal individuals in domain-specific memory tasks. However, the neural correlates of memory-related processes remain unclear. In the current EEG study, SMs and control participants performed a digit memory task during which their brain activity was recorded. Chinese SMs used a digit-image mnemonic for encoding digits, in which they associated 2-digit groups with images immediately after the presentation of each even-position digit in sequences. Behaviorally, SMs' memory of digit sequences was better than the controls'. During encoding in the study phase, SMs showed an increased right central P2 (150-250ms post onset) and a larger right posterior high-alpha (10-14Hz, 500-1720ms) oscillation on digits at even-positions compared with digits at odd-positions. Both P2 and high-alpha oscillations in the study phase co-varied with performance in the recall phase, but only in SMs, indicating that neural dynamics during encoding could predict successful retrieval of digit memory in SMs. Our findings suggest that representation of a digit sequence in SMs using mnemonics may recruit both the early-stage attention allocation process and the sustained information preservation process. This study provides evidence for the role of dynamic and efficient neural encoding processes in mnemonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafeng Pan
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Xianchun Li
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Xi Chen
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yixuan Ku
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Yujie Dong
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Zheng Dou
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Lin He
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yi Hu
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Weidong Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Xiaolin Zhou
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health and PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 10071, China.
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8
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Ericsson KA, Cheng X, Pan Y, Ku Y, Ge Y, Hu Y. Memory skills mediating superior memory in a world-class memorist. Memory 2017; 25:1294-1302. [DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2017.1296164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K. Anders Ericsson
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Xiaojun Cheng
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yafeng Pan
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yixuan Ku
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Ge
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Hu
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
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9
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Towne TJ, Boot WR, Ericsson KA. Understanding the structure of skill through a detailed analysis of Individuals' performance on the Space Fortress game. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2016; 169:27-37. [PMID: 27214790 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2016.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Revised: 05/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper we describe a novel approach to the study of individual differences in acquired skilled performance in complex laboratory tasks based on an extension of the methodology of the expert-performance approach (Ericsson & Smith, 1991) to shorter periods of training and practice. In contrast to more traditional approaches that study the average performance of groups of participants, we explored detailed behavioral changes for individual participants across their development on the Space Fortress game. We focused on dramatic individual differences in learning and skill acquisition at the individual level by analyzing the archival game data of several interesting players to uncover the specific structure of their acquired skill. Our analysis revealed that even after maximal values for game-generated subscores were reached, the most skilled participant's behaviors such as his flight path, missile firing, and mine handling continued to be refined and improved (Participant 17 from Boot et al., 2010). We contrasted this participant's behavior with the behavior of several other participants and found striking differences in the structure of their performance, which calls into question the appropriateness of averaging their data. For example, some participants engaged in different control strategies such as "world wrapping" or maintaining a finely-tuned circular flight path around the fortress (in contrast to Participant 17's angular flight path). In light of these differences, we raise fundamental questions about how skill acquisition for individual participants should be studied and described. Our data suggest that a detailed analysis of individuals' data is an essential step for generating a general theory of skill acquisition that explains improvement at the group and individual levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J Towne
- Florida State University, 1107 W. Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4301, United States.
| | - Walter R Boot
- Florida State University, 1107 W. Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4301, United States
| | - K Anders Ericsson
- Florida State University, 1107 W. Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4301, United States
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10
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Chekaf M, Cowan N, Mathy F. Chunk formation in immediate memory and how it relates to data compression. Cognition 2016; 155:96-107. [PMID: 27367593 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2016.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
This paper attempts to evaluate the capacity of immediate memory to cope with new situations in relation to the compressibility of information likely to allow the formation of chunks. We constructed a task in which untrained participants had to immediately recall sequences of stimuli with possible associations between them. Compressibility of information was used to measure the chunkability of each sequence on a single trial. Compressibility refers to the recoding of information in a more compact representation. Although compressibility has almost exclusively been used to study long-term memory, our theory suggests that a compression process relying on redundancies within the structure of the list materials can occur very rapidly in immediate memory. The results indicated a span of about three items when the list had no structure, but increased linearly as structure was added. The amount of information retained in immediate memory was maximal for the most compressible sequences, particularly when information was ordered in a way that facilitated the compression process. We discuss the role of immediate memory in the rapid formation of chunks made up of new associations that did not already exist in long-term memory, and we conclude that immediate memory is the starting place for the reorganization of information.
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11
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Mathy F, Fartoukh M, Gauvrit N, Guida A. Developmental Abilities to Form Chunks in Immediate Memory and Its Non-Relationship to Span Development. Front Psychol 2016; 7:201. [PMID: 26941675 PMCID: PMC4763062 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Both adults and children –by the time they are 2–3 years old– have a general ability to recode information to increase memory efficiency. This paper aims to evaluate the ability of untrained children aged 6–10 years old to deploy such a recoding process in immediate memory. A large sample of 374 children were given a task of immediate serial report based on SIMON®, a classic memory game made of four colored buttons (red, green, yellow, blue) requiring players to reproduce a sequence of colors within which repetitions eventually occur. It was hypothesized that a primitive ability across all ages (since theoretically already available in toddlers) to detect redundancies allows the span to increase whenever information can be recoded on the fly. The chunkable condition prompted the formation of chunks based on the perceived structure of color repetition within to-be-recalled sequences of colors. Our result shows a similar linear improvement of memory span with age for both chunkable and non-chunkable conditions. The amount of information retained in immediate memory systematically increased for the groupable sequences across all age groups, independently of the average age-group span that was measured on sequences that contained fewer repetitions. This result shows that chunking gives young children an equal benefit as older children. We discuss the role of recoding in the expansion of capacity in immediate memory and the potential role of data compression in the formation of chunks in long-term memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Mathy
- Bases Corpus Langage UMR 7320 CNRS, Université Nice Sophia-Antipolis Nice, France
| | - Michael Fartoukh
- Bases Corpus Langage UMR 7320 CNRS, Université Nice Sophia-Antipolis Nice, France
| | | | - Alessandro Guida
- Centre de Recherches en Psychologie, Cognition et Communication, Université Rennes II Rennes, France
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12
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Sigala N. Effects of memory training or task design? A Commentary on “Neural evidence for the use of digit-image mnemonic in a superior memorist: an fMRI studyâ€. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:183. [PMID: 25883566 PMCID: PMC4381622 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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13
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Gong Y, Ericsson KA, Moxley JH. Recall of briefly presented chess positions and its relation to chess skill. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118756. [PMID: 25774693 PMCID: PMC4361603 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in memory performance in a domain of expertise have traditionally been accounted for by previously acquired chunks of knowledge and patterns. These accounts have been examined experimentally mainly in chess. The role of chunks (clusters of chess pieces recalled in rapid succession during recall of chess positions) and their relations to chess skill are, however, under debate. By introducing an independent chunk-identification technique, namely repeated-recall technique, this study identified individual chunks for particular chess players. The study not only tested chess players with increasing chess expertise, but also tested non-chess players who should not have previously acquired any chess related chunks in memory. For recall of game positions significant differences between players and non-players were found in virtually all the characteristics of chunks recalled. Size of the largest chunks also correlates with chess skill within the group of rated chess players. Further research will help us understand how these memory encodings can explain large differences in chess skill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfei Gong
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail:
| | - K. Anders Ericsson
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jerad H. Moxley
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
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14
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Yin LJ, Lou YT, Fan MX, Wang ZX, Hu Y. Neural evidence for the use of digit-image mnemonic in a superior memorist: an fMRI study. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:109. [PMID: 25798098 PMCID: PMC4350403 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Some superior memorists demonstrated exceptional memory for reciting a large body of information. The underlying neural correlates, however, are seldom addressed. C.L., the current holder of Guinness World Record for reciting 67,890 digits in π, participated in this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. Thirteen participants without any mnemonics training were included as controls. Our previous studies suggested that C.L. used a digit-image mnemonic in studying and recalling lists of digits, namely associating 2-digit groups of “00” to “99” with images and generating vivid stories out of them (Hu et al., 2009). Thus, 2-digit condition was included, with 1-digit numbers and letters as control conditions. We hypothesized that 2-digit condition in C.L. should elicit the strongest activity in the brain regions which are associated with his mnemonic. Functional MRI results revealed that bilateral frontal poles (FPs, BA10), left superior parietal lobule (SPL), left premotor cortex (PMC), and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), were more engaged in both the study and recall phase of 2-digit condition for C.L. relative to controls. Moreover, the left middle/inferior frontal gyri (M/IFG) and intraparietal sulci (IPS) were less engaged in the study phase of 2-digit condition for C.L. (vs. controls). These results suggested that C.L. relied more on brain regions that are associated with episodic memory other than verbal rehearsal while he used his mnemonic strategies. This study supported theoretical accounts of restructured cognitive mechanisms for the acquisition of superior memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Jun Yin
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Ting Lou
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University Shanghai, China
| | - Ming-Xia Fan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of MRI, East China Normal University Shanghai, China
| | - Zhao-Xin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University Shanghai, China ; Shanghai Key Laboratory of MRI, East China Normal University Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Hu
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University Shanghai, China
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15
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Why expert performance is special and cannot be extrapolated from studies of performance in the general population: A response to criticisms. INTELLIGENCE 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2013.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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16
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Towne TJ, Anders Ericsson K, Sumner AM. Uncovering mechanisms in video game research: suggestions from the expert-performance approach. Front Psychol 2014; 5:161. [PMID: 24624103 PMCID: PMC3939770 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J Towne
- K. Anders Ericsson Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Florida State University Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - K Anders Ericsson
- K. Anders Ericsson Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Florida State University Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Anna M Sumner
- K. Anders Ericsson Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Florida State University Tallahassee, FL, USA
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17
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Abstract
We propose a new method based on an algorithm usually dedicated to DNA sequence alignment in order to both reliably score short-term memory performance on immediate serial-recall tasks and analyse retention-error patterns. There can be considerable confusion on how performance on immediate serial list recall tasks is scored, especially when the to-be-remembered items are sampled with replacement. We discuss the utility of sequence-alignment algorithms to compare the stimuli to the participants' responses. The idea is that deletion, substitution, translocation, and insertion errors, which are typical in DNA, are also typical putative errors in short-term memory (respectively omission, confusion, permutation, and intrusion errors). We analyse four data sets in which alphanumeric lists included a few (or many) repetitions. After examining the method on two simple data sets, we show that sequence alignment offers 1) a compelling method for measuring capacity in terms of chunks when many regularities are introduced in the material (third data set) and 2) a reliable estimator of individual differences in short-term memory capacity. This study illustrates the difficulty of arriving at a good measure of short-term memory performance, and also attempts to characterise the primary factors underpinning remembering and forgetting.
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