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The effect of encoding task on the forgetting of object gist and details

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  • Zhongyu Hu
  • Wenxi Zhou
  • Jiongjiong Yang

Abstract

One important feature of episodic memory is that it contains fine-grained and vividly recollected details. How to improve and maintain detailed information over time has been one of the central issues in memory research. Previous studies have inconsistent findings on whether detailed memory is forgotten more rapidly than gist memory. In this study, we investigated to what extent different encoding tasks modulated forgetting of gist and detailed information. In three experiments, participants were presented pictures of common objects and were asked to name them (Experiment 1), describe the details about them (Experiment 2) or imagine scenes associated with them (Experiment 3). After intervals of 10 minutes, one day, one week and one month, gist and detailed memories of the pictures were tested and assessed using a remember/know/guess judgement. The results showed that after the naming task, gist and detailed memories were forgotten at a similar rate, but after the description and the imagination tasks, detailed memory was forgotten at a slower rate than gist memory. The forgetting rate of gist memory was the slowest after the naming task, while that of detailed memory was the slowest after the description task. In addition, when three experiments were compared, the naming task enhanced the contributions of recollection and familiarity for gist memory, while the description task enhanced the contribution of familiarity for detailed memory. These results reveal the importance of the encoding task in the forgetting of gist and detailed information, and suggest a possible way to maintain perceptual details of objects at longer intervals.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhongyu Hu & Wenxi Zhou & Jiongjiong Yang, 2021. "The effect of encoding task on the forgetting of object gist and details," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(9), pages 1-26, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0255474
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255474
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Aidan J. Horner & James A. Bisby & Daniel Bush & Wen-Jing Lin & Neil Burgess, 2015. "Evidence for holistic episodic recollection via hippocampal pattern completion," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-11, November.
    2. Sam C. Berens & Blake A. Richards & Aidan J. Horner, 2020. "Dissociating memory accessibility and precision in forgetting," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 4(8), pages 866-877, August.
    3. Gesche M Huebner & Karl R Gegenfurtner, 2012. "Conceptual and Visual Features Contribute to Visual Memory for Natural Images," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(6), pages 1-8, June.
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