No evidence for a role of reconsolidation in updating of paired associates

ABSTRACT

Reconsolidation theory states that memories are labilized through reactivation, making them prone to change, before being re-consolidated. When information in memory requires updating, reconsolidation theory therefore predicts that reminders of previously learned information should facilitate updating of that information and should thus improve memory for the updated information. In two experiments, we tested this prediction by investigating memory for word pairs over a short time-scale. Participants studied word pairs (A–B), some of which were subsequently updated with word pairs that shared the first word (A–C). Half of the A–C pairs received a pre-study reminder of the first word in the pair so as to reactivate and labilize A–B memory. In a recognition memory test targeting the A–C list, reminders by and large had no effect on memory. Results thus failed to support the predictions of reconsolidation theory.

KEYWORDS:

• Memory updating
• paired-associate learning
• recognition memory
• reconsolidation
• interference

Acknowledgements

We thank Devon Spaapen and Charles Hanich for research assistance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 The sample happened to include three age outliers (mature-age students aged 40, 46, and 53 years). Excluding these participants from the analyses did not affect results.

Additional information

Funding

The research was supported by the Australian Research Council: [grant number DP110101266 and DP160103596], awarded to the second author.