What is context-dependent memory?

“Have you ever sat down to take a test and completely forgotten what you had studied, or opened your fridge and not remembered what you came to get?

“Quite often, we only remember these things once we return to the place where we studied or to where we had the initial craving for that snack. These experiences are so common that psychologists have studied them for years and attribute them to something called ‘context-dependent memory.'”

What is context-dependent memory, and how does it work?

Learn how memories are formed and how surrounding information can help recall memories with this SciToons animation. Some of the topics covered include:

• Memory encoding, storage, and retrieval;

• Factors that can enhance or interfere with forming strong context-dependent memories, including uniqueness of the experience or high levels of stress, respectively;

• How to “hack” memory retrieval.

SciToons is the product of physicist and Associate Dean Dr. Oludurotimi Adetunji’s Science Cartoons Creation Group at Brown University. From their site:

“It was developed to engage STEM and non-STEM students and faculty in the creation of science animation. The SciToons model is an innovative approach for communicating scientific research and concepts to broad audiences in diverse settings via storytelling, animation, high-quality multimedia, and art to conceptualize and communicate science.”

Find SciToons on YouTube and Instagram.

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