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Related Concept Videos

Amnesia01:13

Amnesia

Amnesia is a condition marked by long-term memory loss, which impairs the ability to recall past events or create new memories.
The severity and duration of memory loss vary depending on the type and underlying cause. Amnesia is classified into two main types: retrograde and anterograde.
Retrograde amnesia is marked by the loss of memories formed before the onset of the condition. Patients may recall distant past events but often forget those occurring shortly before the incident.
Anterograde...
Retrieval01:12

Retrieval

Retrieval is the process of getting information out of memory storage and back into conscious awareness. This ability is essential for daily tasks like brushing hair and teeth, driving to work, and performing job duties. Retrieval occurs in three ways: recall, recognition, and relearning.
Recall involves accessing information without cues, such as during an essay test, where individuals must retrieve facts and concepts from memory unaided. Another example is remembering the name of a colleague...
Interference and Decay01:16

Interference and Decay

Forgetting is a complex cognitive phenomenon influenced by several factors, among which interference and decay are particularly prominent. These processes explain why individuals often struggle to retrieve specific information from memory, leading to lapses in recall that can be observed in everyday situations.
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory01:26

Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory

Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or playing an...
Forgetting01:21

Forgetting

Forgetting is an intrinsic aspect of human memory, characterized by the gradual loss or inaccessibility of information over time. Hermann Ebbinghaus, a pioneering psychologist, extensively studied this phenomenon and formulated the forgetting curve. This curve illustrates that memory loss occurs rapidly immediately after learning and then decelerates over time. Several mechanisms contribute to forgetting, including encoding failure, storage decay, retrieval failure, and interference.
Encoding...
Dissociative Amnesia01:21

Dissociative Amnesia

Dissociative amnesia is a complex psychological condition that manifests as an inability to recall personal information, often tied to traumatic or stressful events. Unlike general amnesia, individuals with this condition retain the ability to perform routine activities and procedural tasks, such as operating a phone or navigating public transportation, yet experience profound gaps in autobiographical memory. These lapses may encompass significant life events, such as suicide attempts or...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2026

A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers
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A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers

Published on: January 5, 2018

Retrieval failure versus memory loss in experimental amnesia: definitions and processes.

Ralph R Miller1, Louis D Matzel

  • 1Department of Psychology, SUNY-Binghamton, Binghamton, New York 13902-6000, USA. rmiller@binghamton.edu

Learning & Memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.)
|October 4, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Experimental amnesia research debated memory formation versus expression. New analysis suggests amnesia partly involves retrieval deficits, not just initial memory storage, supporting rapid synaptic consolidation.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Memory Research

Background:

  • A 40-year debate exists on whether experimental amnesia impairs memory formation or expression.
  • This debate stems from definitional ambiguities and differing theoretical interpretations of data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To clarify the nature of experimental amnesia.
  • To reconcile conflicting hypotheses regarding memory consolidation and expression.
  • To guide future research by addressing definitional issues.

Main Methods:

  • Review and re-evaluation of existing experimental amnesia data.
  • Analysis of theoretical frameworks underlying memory research.
  • Comparative assessment of hypotheses on memory storage versus retrieval.

Main Results:

  • Evidence supports rapid synaptic consolidation occurring within milliseconds.
  • Experimental amnesia appears to involve, at least partially, retrieval deficits.
  • The findings challenge the notion that amnesia solely impacts initial memory encoding.

Conclusions:

  • The field can move beyond definitional disputes by focusing on empirical data.
  • Existing data favor a model where memory expression, not just formation, is affected by amnesia.
  • Rapid consolidation and retrieval deficits are key aspects to consider in understanding experimental amnesia.