Sym Sys Forum - Anthony Wagner, Psychology Department, "The Control of Memory"

Anthony Wagner, Psychology Department, "The Control of Memory:

Prefrontal Mechanisms that Guide Retrieval and Selection"

ABSTRACT:

Remembering the past is not a unitary cognitive act, but rather depends on an ensemble of processes, including cognitive control mechanisms that guide access to goal-relevant memories. In this talk, evidence will be provided for a distinction between two basic forms of cognitive control--top-down (controlled) retrieval of potentially relevant representations and post-retrieval selection. Initial data will highlight the role of selection and controlled retrieval mechanisms during (a) interference resolution in working memory, (b) retrieval of task-relevant semantic knowledge, and (c) switching between task sets. Subsequently, the role of retrieval and selection for remembering episodic details about the past will be discussed. As such, this talk aims to illustrate how core mechanisms of cognitive control support flexible behavior across a range of memory domains.