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Related Concept Videos

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...
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...
Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory01:14

Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory

The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the cerebellum's...
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...
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...
High-Level and Low-Level Awareness01:19

High-Level and Low-Level Awareness

Controlled processes in human consciousness represent high-alert mental states where individuals deliberately focus their attention on achieving specific goals. Controlled processes can be seen in situations like mastering new technology, where a person might become so absorbed that they ignore surrounding distractions. Such processes involve selective attention, requiring one to concentrate on particular elements of experience while disregarding others. These are governed by executive...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
10:38

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

Learned control over distraction is disrupted in amnesia.

Joshua D Cosman1, Shaun P Vecera

  • 1Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, TN 37240-7817, USA. joshua.d.cosman@vanderbilt.edu

Psychological Science
|June 14, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Medial temporal lobe (MTL) structures are crucial for learning to overcome distraction. Damage to MTL areas prevents individuals from using past experiences to reduce future distractibility.

Keywords:
attentional capturedistractionlong-term memorymedial temporal loberelational memory

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Neuropsychology

Background:

  • Training can improve attentional control by linking specific states to learned contexts.
  • Relational memory systems are hypothesized to mediate these effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of medial temporal lobe (MTL) structures in using past experience to overcome distraction.
  • To determine if MTL-dependent relational learning underpins training-induced reductions in distractibility.

Main Methods:

  • An attentional-capture task was administered to amnesic patients with bilateral MTL damage and matched comparison subjects.
  • Participants completed a training session followed by a testing session to assess distraction levels.

Main Results:

  • Comparison subjects demonstrated reduced distractibility after training.
  • Amnesic patients with MTL damage did not show training-related decreases in distractibility.

Conclusions:

  • MTL-mediated learning is critical for overcoming distraction through past experience.
  • Relational learning mechanisms dependent on the MTL are tightly linked to cognitive control.