记忆的生存加工优势效应

近年来,一些研究者使用生存加工范式来研究记忆,并发现了记忆的生存加工优势效应。本文首先介绍生存加工优势效应的含义及其研究范式,然后介绍生存优势产生的可能原因,即在长期的进化过程中,记忆的机制是为了解决人类祖先的适应性问题而设计的,因此产生记忆的生存优势效应。同时,还分析了记忆生存加工优势效应产生的其他可能原因以及对生存优势效应的争论。最后提出了今后需要进一步研究的问题。     

一致性、相关性对记忆生存优势效应的影响

对词语进行生存加工能提高记忆成绩,这种记忆的生存优势效应已得到不少研究的验证,且大多数研究表明生存优势是一种独特的编码方式(Nairne&Pandeirada,2011)。但是,Butler等人(2009)的研究结果表明实验中生存加工带来的记忆优势可能是一致性效应(即编码任务与编码的材料之间具有一致性)的作用。本文在2个实验中选用与生存和抢劫加工条件相关程度不同的词(高中低)为实验材料,采用生存加工、抢劫加工、愉悦度和有意学习为实验条件,研究一致性和相关性在记忆生存优势中的作用。结果发现:(1)生存条件下的记忆效果显著优于愉悦度条件和有意学习条件,这说明的确存在记忆的生存优势效应;(2)高生存相关词在生存加工条件下产生了记忆优势,而中、低生存相关词在2种加工条件下记忆成绩差异不显著,这说明加工条件的一致性只在一定程度上影响着记忆的生存优势效应;(3)词语自身的生存相关性没有表现出较强的记忆优势,当然这也可能与实验材料的词频有关。研究结果支持了Nairne和Pandeirada(2011)的观点。     

生存加工的编码和提取双重优势效应:ERP证据

生存加工比控制条件有更好的记忆表现,产生稳定的记忆优势,这就是记忆生存优势.已有研究多采用行为学实验验证了此现象的存在,但没有确定该优势发生在记忆的何种阶段.本研究采用ERP技术和“间接学习-再认”实验范式,比较被试在生存情境、迁徙情境和愉悦判断中对词汇编码和提取过程的记忆加工,结果发现:在500-700ms时间段,生存情境的相继记忆效应显著大于迁徙情境和愉悦判断:在400-600ms时间段,生存情境的新旧效应显著大于迁徙情境和愉悦判断.表明生存加工具有编码和提取双重优势.     

不同加工水平对内隐记忆和外显记忆中生存加工的影响

记忆的生存加工优势主要指生存情景下的记忆成绩好于其他情景下记忆成绩的一种优势效应。实验1采用生存加工研究范式,结合内隐记忆和外显记忆测试方法,考察了生存加工在内隐记忆和外显记忆中的表现。实验2结合不同的词语评估时间,进一步考察了不同加工水平对内隐记忆和外显记忆中生存加工的影响。结果发现,在内隐记忆中没有表现出生存加工优势,但是在外显记忆中出现了生存加工优势效应,并且外显记忆中的生存加工优势会受到加工水平的影响。     

记忆的生存假设

以进化理论为理论基础,通过分析不同情境下的记忆效果,探讨了生命有机体记忆机能性信息的机制。124名大学生分别参与3个实验,实验材料为无关联的词汇。实验1和实验2分别采用组间实验设计与组内实验设计。实验1和实验2的研究结果都显示记忆具有求生评价优势,评价生存有关的信息可以提高记忆效果。实验3通过混合实验设计再次验证了记忆的求生评价优势。实验3也发现不同实验材料的评价时间能够影响记忆的评价优势,因此,求生评价的记忆优势可能与认知加工程度有关。     

协作抑制的多机制解释:来自编码加工方式和编码相似性的证据

协作抑制是指小组提取的信息量比等量个体单独提取的信息总量要少。对于协作过程降低小组成员提取潜能的机制解释,不同研究之间仍有争论。本研究实验1使用经典的生存加工范式,实验2使用联想记忆训练法,分别考察编码加工方式和编码相似性对协作提取成绩的影响,从而检验提取抑制和策略破坏机制是否能分别影响协作抑制。研究结果表明,被试在生存和非生存(愉悦度和自我经历)加工条件下都出现协作抑制现象,而生存加工条件下的协作抑制量显著小于非生存加工条件;在使用联想记忆训练法之后,相同学习顺序组没有出现协作抑制,而不同学习顺序组出现了经典的协作抑制。本研究结果为协作抑制的可能存在的多机制解释提供了证据。     

记忆编码与提取的非对称关系

编码与提取是记忆的两个重要加工阶段, 虽然多数研究认为记忆的编码与提取过程是重叠的, 但也有一些研究结果证实了二者之间存在着差异性。这些研究主要从行为和神经成像两方面探讨编码与提取的非对称性关系, 并通过双加工模型及记忆两阶段神经生理学模型加以解释。综合以往研究, 编码与提取加工之间可能存在着多重复杂的关系。     

记忆研究的功能取向

记忆功能是人类适应环境的结果,记忆系统的“设计”（运作机制）则支持其功能。因此,通过探究人类面临的适应性问题,分析记忆功能,再推测并验证记忆解决方案,是研究记忆的一种可靠途径,此即为记忆研究的功能取向。本文以记忆的生存优势效应（相比控制加工条件,判断单词对求生情境的重要性可获得更好的记忆保持量）、多重记忆系统的分离与协同、记忆对未来的价值等问题为例,具体阐明了该取向是如何促进研究者理解记忆运作的。     

生存优势效应的理论解释

生存优势效应指对学习材料进行“生存加工”,其提取正确率最高。研究者试图用主题加工、一致性效应、情绪加工和自然选择等理论对生存优势效应进行解释。研究发现主题加工、一致性效应和情绪加工不足以说明生存优势现象,自然选择理论似乎可以更好地对此加以解释,但目前自然选择理论尚缺乏直接的实验证据支持。文章结合已有研究具体分析了最近的未来研究应该关注的焦点问题,例如,自然选择理论的直接证明,并对直接证明的方案等进行了尝试性的讨论。     

厌恶与恐惧面孔的记忆编码、保持、提取

情绪记忆增强效应在负性情绪记忆研究中被反复证实。尽管厌恶和恐惧同属负性情绪, 提示威胁的存在, 但由于它们的进化意义和生理功能不同, 可能导致它们对记忆的编码、保持、提取三个阶段不同的调节方向或调节强度。本文采用延迟再认任务, 采用事件相关电位考察健康成年被试对唤醒度和效价相当的恐惧和厌恶面孔的记忆编码、保持和提取。结果显示, 1)在记忆编码的早期, 被试主要加强了对恐惧面孔的注意(P1)和结构编码(N170), 而厌恶信息的加工受到了抑制; 2)从记忆编码晚期到记忆保持的整个阶段, 被试对厌恶信息的精细评估(编码阶段P3)和复述保持(保持阶段的负走向慢波)均强于恐惧信息; 3)相比于恐惧面孔, 厌恶面孔可能在工作记忆系统形成了更强的表征, 从而使被试在记忆提取时可回忆起更多的细节, 对记忆提取的信心更足(提取阶段P3)。这后两条发现是导致行为层面上厌恶情绪记忆优于恐惧情绪记忆的原因。本研究为“厌恶比恐惧具有更强的记忆增强效应”提供了高时间分辨率的脑活动层面的证据, 从而进一步揭示了负性情绪增强记忆的认知机制。     

Adaptive memory: the comparative value of survival processing

We recently proposed that human memory systems are "tuned" to remember information that is processed for survival, perhaps as a result of fitness advantages accrued in the ancestral past. This proposal was supported by experiments in which participants showed superior memory when words were rated for survival relevance, at least relative to when words received other forms of deep processing. The current experiments tested the mettle of survival memory by pitting survival processing against conditions that are universally accepted as producing excellent retention, including conditions in which participants rated words for imagery, pleasantness, and self-reference; participants also generated words, studied words with the intention of learning them, or rated words for relevance to a contextually rich (but non-survival-related) scenario. Survival processing yielded the best retention, which suggests that it may be one of the best encoding procedures yet discovered in the memory field.     

The mark of adaptive memory in healthy and cognitively impaired older adults and elderly

The survival processing paradigm has recently drawn attention to the functional aspects of memory functioning. The survival effect, characterized by better memory performance when information is processed in a survival context, as compared with a variety of controls, is now well established in healthy populations. The main goal of this study was to test this paradigm in a group of cognitively impaired older adults and elderly; their data were compared to the data obtained in a group of healthy older adults and elderly. Seventeen cognitively impaired and 17 healthy participants performed a typical survival task using a blocked within‐subject design procedure and free recall as the memory test. The healthy older adults and elderly performed better on this memory task as well as on other tests included in a neuropsychological evaluation protocol. Importantly, both groups benefited from survival processing. These results provide further support for the power of survival processing, extending this phenomenon to cognitively impaired aging participants. The data also suggest that the survival effect is not simply a form of deep processing. Potential applied considerations are presented.     

生存和死亡启动对自我参照加工的影响：ERP证据

死亡想法凸显会抑制个体的自我加工,而生存启动是否会对自我加工产生相似或是不同的影响尚不可知。本研究采用事件相关电位技术,以人格特质词自我判断任务为研究范式,探究死亡和生存启动对自我参照加工的影响。结果发现死亡启动时,自我加工所诱发的后期正成分（LPC）显著小于褒贬加工;生存启动时,自我加工的LPC成分显著大于褒贬加工。即死亡想法抑制自我加工,而生存想法促进自我加工。     

On the plasticity of the survival processing effect

Nairne, Thompson, and Pandeirada (2007) discovered a strong and rather general memory advantage for word material processed in a survival-related context. One possible explanation of this effect conceives survival processing as a special form of encoding: Nature specifically "tuned" our memory systems to process and remember fitness-relevant information. We tested this explanation by studying whether the survival processing effect is robust against encoding manipulations that do not affect the fitness relevance of information. Three experiments replicated a strong survival processing effect under standard conditions but showed that the mnemonic benefit of survival processing diminishes or even vanishes when participants focus on a single problem (Experiments 1 and 2) or technique (Experiment 3) of survival. We argue that it is not survival processing per se that facilitates recall but the richness and distinctiveness with which information is encoded.     

Effects of survival processing and retention interval on true and false recognition in the DRM and category repetition paradigms

ABSTRACT

Two experiments examined the effects of survival processing and delay on true and related false recognition. Experiment 1 used the Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm and found survival processing to increase true and related false recognition. Extending the delay from 5-mins to 1-day reduced true, but not false memory. Measures of the characteristics of true and false memories showed survival processing increased “remember” and “know” responses for related false memory, “know” responses for true memory and gist processing. Experiment 2 made use of the category repetition procedure and found a broadly similar pattern of results for true memory. However, related false memory was decreased by survival processing. Except for one result, no interactions were found between encoding task and delay. Overall, survival processing produced similar or different effects on true/false memory depending on the nature of the list. The mechanisms that might underpin these are evaluated and considered in relation to future work.     

Does survival context enhance memory for source? A within-subjects comparison

ABSTRACT

Nairne, Thompson, and Pandeirada [2007. Adaptive memory: Survival processing enhances retention. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 33, 263–273] demonstrated that processing words according to their relevance to a survival scenario enhanced their subsequent retrieval in recall and recognition tasks compared to a variety of control scenarios. From an adaptive perspective, it is maintained that processing words in a survival context should also enhance memory for source; however, evidence in the literature is rather mixed regarding a survival context advantage for source memory. In the current study, we conducted four experiments to systematically investigate the survival advantage in source memory, when the context itself is the source, with both recall (Experiments 1A and 1B) and recognition tests (Experiments 2A and 2B). Results showed a survival advantage for item memory over the control contexts in all experiments. The survival context advantage was not extended to source memory performance in Experiment 1A. Results from all other experiments, however, indicated a survival context advantage for both item and source memory. Findings are discussed in relation to possible proximate mechanisms underlying the survival processing effect.     

适应性记忆：方位记忆的生存优势

采用“间接学习—回忆”实验范式,考查方位记忆的生存优势及生存记忆的性别差异。在电脑屏幕上下左右4个方位随机呈现动物或食物图片,被试相对于中央点对捕获动物或采集食物的难易程度进行评价,然后进行方位回忆测验。实验1和实验2为2（情境：生存情境vs.比赛情境）×2（性别：男vs.女）的被试间设计,发现当狩猎动物或采集食物活动与生存相关时,图片方位回忆的正确率较大;实验3为2（情境：生存狩猎情境vs.生存采集情境）×2（性别：男vs.女）的混合设计,发现不同性别被试在两种生存情境中的图片回忆正确率存在差异。表明方位记忆具有生存优势,生存记忆存在性别差异。