Abschlussarbeiten

One step closer to dance – Der Einfluss dynamischer Darstellung von Tanzsequenzen auf das Assoziationsgedächtnis in Abhängigkeit der eigenen Tanzerfahrung

Die neuropsychologische Gedächtnisforschung zeigt, dass das Durchführen von Bewegungen während des Lernens neuer Inhalte das Gedächtnis für diese fördert, sowohl wenn die Bewegungen tatsächlich ausgeführt werden, als auch wenn man sich die Bewegungsausführung lediglich vorstellt. Wenn man sich nun an den Bewegungsablauf selbst erinnern muss, stellt dies eine spannende Möglichkeit dar, das explizite Erinnern von Verknüpfungen (Assoziationsgedächtnis) zu untersuchen. Hierbei eignet sich der Tanz besonders gut, da er stets aus einer Abfolge einzelner Bewegungssegmente besteht, die erinnert werden muss.

Vicary et al. (2014) haben gezeigt, dass die dynamische Darstellung (Video) einer einzelnen Tanzbewegung dazu führt, dass diese als ganzheitliche Bewegung anstatt als „Standbild“ der Bewegung erinnert wird. Darauf aufbauend ist das Ziel der Studie, zu untersuchen, inwiefern eine dynamische Darstellung von Tanzsequenzen (im Vergleich zu einer statischen Darstellung) dabei hilft, sich an die Reihenfolge der Tanzsequenz (Assoziationsgedächtnis) zu erinnern. Ein wichtiger Aspekt, der hierbei berücksichtig werden muss, ist die eigene Tanzerfahrung. Bei der alleinigen Beobachtung von Bewegungen werden Hirnregionen aktiviert, die auch für die Durchführung der Bewegung notwendig sind (Rizzolatti & Craighero, 2004). 

Somit könnte die eigene Tanzerfahrung eine solche Aktivierung bei der Betrachtung von Tanzsequenzen verstärken, wodurch die beobachteten Tanzsequenzen als eine Einheit in das eigene Expertise-Wissen eingebettet und somit besser erinnert werden können. Deshalb wird in dieser Studie ebenfalls untersucht, inwiefern die eigene Tanzexpertise den möglichen Gedächtnisvorteil einer dynamischen Darstellung von Tanzsequenzen auf das Assoziationsgedächtnis beeinflusst. Hierfür werden junge Erwachsene mit unterschiedlich stark ausgeprägter Tanzerfahrung getestet werden, wobei sie verschiedene Tanzsequenzen in statischer und dynamischer Darstellung lernen und erinnern müssen.
Die Studie eignet sich als Bachelor- oder Masterarbeit.

Kontaktpersonen: Véronique Huffer & Axel Mecklinger

Literatur
Rizzolatti, G., & Craighero, L. (2004). The mirror-neuron system. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 27, 169–192. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.neuro.27.070203.144230

Vicary, S. A., Robbins, R. A., Calvo-Merino, B., & Stevens, C. J. (2014). Recognition of dance-like actions: Memory for static posture or dynamic movement? Memory and Cognition, 42(5), 755–767. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-014-0395-0

Why do some pictures stick in memory while others fade?

Do you still remember the appearance of the last painting you looked at? If you cannot recall what it looked like, you might be inclined to attribute this to a memory malfunction. However, not being able to recall a specific painting may have less to do with the quality of your memory than you expect. Memorability likely hinges on intrinsic visual features that render a painting more or less memorable – not just to the individual observer, but across observers (Davis & Bainbridge, 2023).

It is not yet clear, however, how the memory advantage for highly memorable images arises at a neurocognitive level. Previous research has demonstrated that higher-order visual and semantic processes are more actively engaged when high as compared to low memorable images are processed (Deng et al., 2024). Therefore, we aim to examine whether the memory advantage for highly memorable images can be attributed to the enhanced formation of visual or semantic memory traces during initial exposure.

To gain insights into memory formation processes during the initial exposure of an image, we will make use of event-related potentials (ERPs). Their high temporal resolution allows for disentangling and identifying fast-paced cognitive processing steps. Hereby, we use the Subsequent memory technique (Mecklinger & Kamp, 2023; Paller & Wagner, 2002) to identify the cognitive processing steps related to successful memory formation. Subsequent memory effects (SMEs) are obtained by contrasting ERPs recorded during encoding, for information that is remembered or forgotten in a subsequent memory test. By this, they reflect neurocognitive mechanisms correlated with successful memory formation.

The selection of stimulus materials for the ERP study is currently ongoing. The B. Sc. or M.Sc. thesis associated with this project will investigate the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying memory formation of highly memorable images. The thesis will not only entail the analysis of (behavioral) memory performance measures, but also the analysis of ERP-SMEs. Potential candidates should be interested in working with EEG/ ERP data and willing to familiarize themselves with data analysis using linear mixed-effects models under supervision.

Contact persons: Julia Meßmer & Axel Mecklinger

References:
Davis, T. M., & Bainbridge, W. A. (2023). Memory for artwork is predictable. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(28), e2302389120. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2302389120

Deng, W., Beck, D. M., & Federmeier, K. D. (2024). Image memorability is linked to facilitated perceptual and semantic processing. Imaging Neuroscience, 2, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1162/imag_a_00281

Mecklinger, A., & Kamp, S.-M. (2023). Observing memory encoding while it unfolds: Functional interpretation and current debates regarding ERP subsequent memory effects. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 153, 105347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105347

Paller, K. A., & Wagner, A. D. (2002). Observing the transformation of experience into memory. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 6(2), 93–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01845-3

How Linguistic Labels Shape Stereotype-Driven Expectations and Memory

Labels referring to social groups can vary in the extent to which they provoke stereotypical thinking. For example, nouns (e.g., an athlete) tend to evoke stronger stereotype-congruent inferences than adjectives (e.g., athletic) (Carnaghi et al., 2008). More broadly, Beukeboom and Burgers (2017) argue that labeling specific social groups generally increases stereotype-related thinking about those groups. Supporting this, Ruscher et al. (1996) found that once a specific category label (e.g., “an alcoholic”) is introduced in a conversation, communication partners are more likely to provide information that aligns with the associated stereotype.

If speakers tend to produce more stereotype-congruent information, it is likely that receivers also expect such information. Therefore, if a target person is introduced with a stereotypic label, we assume that receivers expect receiving more stereotype-congruent information.

This project investigates whether receivers indeed hold such expectations and whether these expectations influence their memory for information about the target person. According to schema-based memory theories, stereotype-congruent information should be better remembered while prediction-error driven learning mechanisms suggest that stereotype-incongruent information may be more memorable due to its unexpected nature (Quent et al., 2021). Moreover, when target persons are introduced using a noun label, these effects should be stronger than when an adjective is used.

Contact person: Regine Bader

References
Beukeboom, C. J., & Burgers, C. (2017). Linguistic Bias. In C. J. Beukeboom & C. Burgers, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.439

Carnaghi, A., Maass, A., Gresta, S., Bianchi, M., Cadinu, M., & Arcuri, L. (2008). Nomina sunt omina: On the inductive potential of nouns and adjectives in person perception. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94(5), 839–859. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.94.5.839

Quent, J. A., Henson, R. N., & Greve, A. (2021). A predictive account of how novelty influences declarative memory. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 179, 107382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107382

Ruscher, J. B., Hammer, E. Y., & Hammer, E. D. (1996). Forming Shared Impressions Through Conversation: An Adaptation of the Continuum Model. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22(7), 705–720. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167296227005

 
The Cognitive Cost of Segmentation: Investigating Working Memory Load and the Subsequent Memory Effect at Event Boundaries

Imagine someone asked you how your day was– you might recall distinct moments such as brewing your morning coffee, rushing to catch the bus, giving a presentation, or unwinding over dinner with friends. Our continues stream of experience is naturally segmented into meaningful episodes, a process known as event segmentation (Kurby and Zacks, 2008). According to Event Segmentation Theory (EST), this segmentation occurs at moments of contextual change or when predictions about upcoming events fail, so-called event boundaries (Kurby & Zacks, 2008; Richmond & Zacks, 2017). These event boundaries arise when the brain’s expectations are violated, prompting an update or reset of the current situation model held in working memory. This updating process carries important cognitive consequences: while it can enhance memory for the event boundary itself, it tends to impair memory for information that spans the boundary (Heusser et al, 2018).

In a previous EEG experiment from our lab, we used five-sentence naturalistic auditory narratives and examined the neural signatures of memory encoding at event boundaries. Alongside enhanced memory for boundary events, we observed a N400 subsequent memory effect (SME) and a retrograde SME with a negative polarity, suggesting complex encoding dynamics.

In a new experiment, we will aim to test whether this SME with negative polarity reflects the high working memory load imposed by the long five-sentence narratives. To do so, we will use the same event structure but shorten the stories to three sentences.

The B.Sc. or M.Sc. thesis associated with this project will explore how the brain turns the continuous flow of experience into memorable events. The project involves analysing behavioural memory data and ERP-based SMEs to uncover the neural markers of event boundaries and can be carried out as a Bachelor or a Master thesis.

Contact persons: Doruntinë Zogaj & Axel Mecklinger

References:
Kurby, C. A., & Zacks, J. M. (2008). Segmentation in the perception and memory of events. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12(2), 72–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2007.11.004

Heusser, A. C., Ezzyat, Y., Shiff, I., & Davachi, L. (2018). Perceptual boundaries cause mnemonic trade-offs between local boundary processing and across-trial associative binding. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 44(7), 1075–1090. https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0000503

Richmond, L. L., & Zacks, J. M. (2017). Constructing Experience: Event Models from Perception to Action. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 21(12), 962–980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2017.08.005