Rotman Rounds - M. Fernandes: The influence of background context on memory

Presenter:
Dr. Myra Fernandes
Associate Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Waterloo

Talk type:
Presentation Title:  "The influence of background context on memory"

Location:
Baycrest Hospital
Ben and Hilda Katz Building
2nd Floor
Classrooms A,B,C

Abstract:

In memory, the ability to encode, store, and retrieve information requires numerous cognitive processes. Identifying those critical for successful memory performance has long been a goal of cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists.  In this talk I will review evidence from behavioural studies of normal aging, and divided attention, showing that provision of meaningful context at encoding selectively influences the richness of information that can be retrieved, enhancing recollection. Based on these studies, as well as our recent fMRI findings, we propose a model in which recollection and familiarity memory for words can be dissociated in two ways: recruitment of additional brain regions in frontal, medial-temporal, and content-specific cortices during recollection, and variations in strength of brain networks activated during recollection and familiarity-based memory responses.