Item memory (e.g., recall or recognition of specific items) can reactively change when metacognitively monitored via judgments of learning (JOLs). The current research explores whether memory for inter-item relations (e.g., semantic relations among list items) is reactively influenced by JOLs. Participants in Experiment 1 studied rhyming word…

It is a truth universally acknowledged that pupils do not learn all that they are taught. They may learn something, they may even learn a lot, but it may not be a lot of what we think we have taught them or they may struggle to apply knowledge successfully. In this book, bestselling author Alex Quigley characterises how the long and winding road…

Emotional information pervades experiences in daily life. Numerous studies have established that emotional materials and information are easier to remember than neutral ones, a phenomenon known as the emotional salience effect on memory. In recent years, an emerging body of research has begun to explore the effect of emotion on metamemory.…

Expectations can lead to prediction errors of varying degrees depending on the extent to which the information encountered in the environment conforms with prior knowledge. While there is strong evidence on the computationally specific effects of such prediction errors on learning, relatively less evidence is available regarding their effects on…

This paper presents ideas for constructing mathematics homework assignments based on lessons from the cognitive science of learning and memory. In particular, we focus on two popular techniques from the field: spaced practice and mixed practice. The paper describes the techniques and supporting research, and then discusses various straightforward…

How do humans adapt to parametric changes in a task without having to learn a new skill from scratch? Many studies of memory and sensorimotor adaptation have proposed theories that incorporate a decay on prior events, which leads the agent to eventually forget old experiences. This study investigates if a similar decay mechanism can account for…

Differences in the learning associated transcriptional profiles between mouse strains with distinct learning abilities could provide insight into the molecular basis of learning and memory. The inbred mouse strain DBA/2 shows deficits in hippocampus-dependent memory, yet the transcriptional responses to learning and the underlying mechanisms of…

Sleep following learning facilitates the consolidation of memories. This effect has often been attributed to sleep-specific factors, such as the presence of sleep spindles or slow waves in the electroencephalogram (EEG). However, recent studies suggest that simply resting quietly while awake could confer a similar memory benefit. In the current…

The aim of this study is to examine what learning capabilities and ways of learning may be possible for women in their third age. The study addresses cognitive aspects of real-life learning of older women who are experienced learners. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 women aged between 60 and 81 who hold either a PhD or a MA.…

Great teachers will tell you that you can learn a lot about students from the questions they ask. This book shares 400 of the most important questions kids ask about their brains, along with answers that can be shared with students from ages 3 to 18. "What hidden talents do I have?" "Where does our inner voice come from?"…

The laterodorsal thalamic nucleus (LD) is believed to play roles in learning and memory, especially spatial tasks. However, the molecular mechanism that underlies the cognitive process in the LD remains unclear and needs to be investigated. So far, there is plenty of evidence indicating that plasticity has been in some of the cortical or…

While preserving the elements that have made the previous two editions so successful--such as chapters on sleep, exercise, memory and mindset--this third edition introduces students to wholly new aspects of brain function and how they impact learning; and furthermore, addresses the challenges of learning online. By introducing new concepts,…

Previously rewarding experiences can influence choices in new situations. Past work has demonstrated that existing reward associations can either help or hinder future behaviors and that there is substantial individual variability in the transfer of value across contexts. Developmental changes in reward sensitivity may also modulate the impact of…

In the olfactory bulb, a cAMP/PKA/CREB-dependent form of learning occurs in the first week of life that provides a unique mammalian model for defining the epigenetic role of this evolutionarily ancient plasticity cascade. Odor preference learning in the week-old rat pup is rapidly induced by a 10-min pairing of odor and stroking. Memory is…

Gene transcription is a crucial step in the sequence of molecular, synaptic, cellular, and systems mechanisms underlying learning and memory. Here, we review the experimental evidence demonstrating that alterations in the levels and functionality of the methylated DNA-binding transcriptional regulator MeCP2 are implicated in the learning and…