When Does Memory Take Over Again?

Previous research has shown that as a memory item is repeatedly recalled, its representation shifts from working memory (WM) to long-term memory (LTM). However, some studies suggest that towards the end of these repetitions, the memory item may be reactivated in WM. We aim to explore why and when WM takes over again. One hypothesis is that participants, knowing they will soon need WM, prepare in advance. Another possibility is that they might have an imprecise internal counter leading them to anticipate the need for WM. To test this, we plan to provide participants with a counter indicating how many more times they will see the memory item, and in some blocks, the counter will be absent. Our hypothesis is that having a precise external counter will result in reactivation just before a new target, if the goal of reactivation is to prepare for it in advance. WM activation will be measured using involuntary attention shifts in a visual search task.

- Students are expected to spend at least 6 hours/week. Approximately 4 hours will be spent on data collection, 30 minutes on the weekly project meeting, and 1.5 hours on reading and data analysis.
- Interested students are encouraged to reach out to Eren Günseli to describe what motivates them to participate in this project and their current level of research experience.
- For more information on our research, check out our website at gunselilab.com