Memory Integration in a Real-World Setting

Abstract: A fundamental component of episodic memories, allowing for their vividness and detail in recollection, is the visual context accompanying it. At times, it has been found that such memories may bind with one another. In such memory integration, the visual context accompanying the integrated events, may been found to be a key component. Yet, though the importance of context on episodic memories has been realised, little research has investigated them in a realistic every-day life situation. With recent developments in technology, the creation of virtual environments allows for new means to study such memories in a naturalistic yet controlled setting. Through this new approach, this study aims at highlighting the effects of the visual environment on memory integration. This is done using a context overlap paradigm at the time of encoding and retrieval of integrated memories. Data from 18 subjects, in the form of verbal behavioural responses was collected. From these, their success in memory integration as an outcome of the manipulations was assessed. The subject’s confidence for each answer given was also noted. No significant difference in memory integration was found when comparing the conditions of context overlap and nonoverlap with one another.