Behavioral representational similarity analysis reveals how episodic learning is influenced by and reshapes semantic memory

Semantic relatedness proactively benefits learning, memory, and interdependence across episodes

Over the past century of memory research, the interplay between initial and later-learned information in determining long-term memory retention has been of central interest. A likely factor for determining whether initial and later memories interfere with or strengthen each other is semantic relatedness. Relatedness has been shown to retroactively boost initial memory and increase the interdependence between earlier and more recent experiences in memory. Here, we investigated the converse relationship of how relatedness proactively affects later memory for paired associates. In five experiments (N=1000 total), we varied the relatedness between initial and later cues, initial and later targets, or both. Across experiments and conditions, relatedness profoundly benefited later-learned memories - in some conditions, low relatedness reliably produced proactive interference (versus a control condition) while high relatedness produced proactive facilitation within the same experiment. Additionally, relatedness also accelerated learning and increased interdependence between initial and later-learned pairs. In sum, we demonstrate the robust effects of relatedness in scaffolding memory for recently learned information and creating strong integrative links with prior experiences.

Motivation and prediction-driven processing of social memoranda

Social semantic memory guides many aspects of behavior. Individuals rely on acquired and inferred knowledge about personal characteristics and group membership to predict the behavior and character of social targets. These predictions then determine the expectations from, the behavior in, and the interpretations of social interactions. According to predictive processing accounts, mnemonic and attentional mechanisms should enhance the processing of prediction-violating events. However, empirical findings suggest that prediction-consistent social events are often better remembered. This mini-review integrates recent evidence from social and non-social memory research to highlight the role of motivation in explaining these discrepancies. A particular emphasis is given to the continuous nature of prediction-(in)consistency, the epistemic tendency of perceivers to maintain or update their knowledge, and the dynamic influences of motivation on multiple steps in prediction-driven social memory. The suggested framework provides a coherent outlook of existing work and offers promising future directions to better understand the ebb and flow of social memoranda.