| dc.description.abstract | Memory updating, defined as the replacement of outdated information with new information, is be achieved by both increasing the likelihood of remembering the new information and reducing proactive interference caused by the outdated information. Intentional forgetting provides the means to limit the likelihood of sampling outdated information in the future and consequently its ability to interfere with the learning of new information. Intentional forgetting can occur by selectively rehearsing the correct information or alternatively, suppressing the error representation. The present study conducts an investigation of these processes and their role during an error correction task, which serves as an application of the memory updating process. For this task, participants attempt to forget an erroneous stimulus-response association and immediately update their memory with the correct association, comprised of the same stimulus paired with a new response. Experiments examine dynamics of retrieval and recognition, boundary conditions for intentional forgetting, and the stored memory representations of the new and outdated information to determine the key mechanisms of an online updating process. Findings reveal this process to include components of both selective rehearsal and suppression, which presents a problem for current theories of intentional forgetting. We conclude by proposing an alternative explanation and outline key goals for continued research in memory updating. | |
