Manipulations Of A Memory Interference Paradigm
Lindsay Crawford · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2022
Manipulations of a Memory Interference Paradigm: Implications for Exercise and Memory Research Lindsay K. Crawford and Paul D. Loprinzi ABSTRACT Accumulating research has demonstrated that exercise can improve memory. Emerging work has started to evaluate whether this effect occurs via attenuating memory interference (MI), including proactive interference (PI) and retroactive interference (RI). This work is confounded in that there are numerous paradigms to induce MI, and these paradigms have not demonstrated robust evidence of construct validity. We conducted a series experiments using the AB/DE, AC/FG paired associate learning task which is purported to induce both PI and RI simultaneously. Until now, there have not been any studies validating or determining the optimal format of this paradigm. PURPOSE: As such, the purpose of these series of experiments were to make manipulations to the task to maximize its efficacy. METHODS: Across five experiments, we manipulated the paradigm (e.g., semantic relatedness of the word pairs, number of trials) driven by underpinnings of MI theory. RESULTS: Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated RI effects, but no evidence of PI. Experiment 3 demonstrated a RI facilitation effect, but no PI. Experiments 4 and 5, successfully induced PI, yet no evidence of RI was observed. See Table 1 for further results of each experiment, including the methodological manipulations. CONCLUSION: Our manipulations were successful in inducing RI and PI separately, which can be used in future experiments evaluating the effects of exercise on memory.† M, the mean difference between the interfering and control word pairs (i.e., for PI, BC-DE; for RI, AB-DE; negative value signifies an interference effect).₸ 95% CI, the 95% confidence interval produced by a paired t-test to compare the mean word pairs recalled (interfering vs control).