순차적 반응시간 과제 학습 시 발생하는 절차적 기억과 서술적 기억의 상호작용에 관한 연구

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Interaction Between Procedural and Declarative Memories During the Serial Sequence Learning

Kim An Na Advisor : Prof. Cho Dong-jin, Ph. D. Department of Physical Education, Graduate School of Chosun University

Understanding the underlying mechanism of motor skill memory formation and storage is a critical factor for completing the overall theory of human movement learning. Long-term memory for motor skill can be divided into declarative memory and procedural memory. Previous studies have suggested that the memory consolidation takes place as a result of the interaction between these two memory systems while based on the limited amount of overall memory storage. In this study, we've investigated the characteristics of changes in learning when the initially acquired procedural memory is exposed to the secondary procedural-only memory formation process. 30 healthy college students were recruited as subjects and divided into 2 groups (Control and Experimental). SRTT tasks with 12 sequence were used for the experiement. During the secondary procedural only learning task, additional tone counting task was given. Acquisition of the initial and the secondary motor skill took place in the morning and, 12 hours later, retention and transfer tests were given. At the end of each practice and test, free recall tests were given as well. Subjects who did not show the skill improvement during the secondary learning were excluded for further analyses. So data from the total of 14 subjects were used for the 2-way ANOVA. The results showed, first, there was no different learning pattern between control and experimental group in the initial task practice condition which was designed to serve as baselines for the later retention tests. Next, the secondary learning task that was designed to prohibit the acquisition of declarative memory of the skill was introduced to the experimental group while the control group practiced in the random sequence condition. When compared to the control group, participants in the experimental group showed significant procedural learning while not forming any declarative memory confirming the intended of the secondary task practice. Finally, the retention test results of the declarative and procedural memory formation was analyzed as main dependent variables for this study. While the amount of procedural memory of the participants who had experienced the changes in the procedural learning (Experimental group) showed no changes, they had significantly low level of declarative memory of the initially practiced skill. when compared to the control group. The results from the current study shows that the interaction between declarative and procedural memory processes aren't as simple as previous literatures have hypothesized. Strong resonance of the initially practiced skill(procedural) memory might have facilitated the cognitive binding. Therefore, this binding even survived the strong influence of the secondary procedural memory formation process. As a result, remaining storage of the overall memory experiences the shortage resulting the less opportunity for the consolidation of the declarative memory. Such interpretation does not discard the idea of interaction between two memory systems. Rather, these results bring up the importance of considering the characteristical difference of each memory formation when interaction is taking place. When the nature of the task to be learned is movement oriented, procedural memory such as motor skill memory would develop strong preference. On the other hand, when the purpose of the task is to understand and acquire the knowledge about the task, goal oriented declarative memory formation process would be more likely take place.