Improving memory after environmental context change: A strategy of “preinstatement”

• Published in: Psychonomic bulletin & review Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 528 - 533
• Main Authors: Brinegar, Kimberly A., Lehman, Melissa, Malmberg, Kenneth J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer-Verlag 01.06.2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Behavioral Science and Psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Brief Report; Cognitive Psychology; Colleges & universities; Cues; Environment; Experiments; Fear & phobias; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human; Humans; Learning. Memory; Memory; Memory - physiology; Mental Recall - physiology; Models, Psychological; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Environmental reinstatement; Context dependent memory; Free recall; Preinstatement; Context; Human; Memory; Strategy; Cognition; Experimental study
• ISSN: 1069-9384; 1531-5320
• DOI: 10.3758/s13423-013-0383-6

A change in environmental context between study and test can produce detrimental effects on memory. For instance, when a change in the environment occurs after an event, memory for the event declines. However, the negative effects of context change can be eliminated when participants are provided with contextual cues. Here, we report that, as predicted by the Lehman–Malmberg model (Lehman & Malmberg Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 35(4):970, 2009 , Psychological Review, 2012 ), participants can overcome a change in the environment by recalling the future test environment while studying, a strategy referred to as preinstatement .