Behavioral representational similarity analysis reveals how episodic learning is influenced by and reshapes semantic memory

Abstract

While semantic and episodic memory have been shown to influence each other, uncertainty remains as to how this interplay occurs. We introduce a behavioral representational similarity analysis approach to assess whether semantic space can be subtly re-sculpted by episodic learning. Eighty participants learned word pairs that varied in semantic relatedness, and learning was bolstered via either testing or restudying. Next-day recall is superior for semantically related pairs, but there is a larger benefit of testing for unrelated pairs. Analyses of representational change reveal that successful recall is accompanied by a pulling together of paired associates, with cue words in semantically related (but not unrelated) pairs changing more across learning than target words. Our findings show that episodic learning is associated with systematic and asymmetrical distortions of semantic space which improve later recall by making cues more predictive of targets, reducing interference from potential lures, and establishing novel connections within pairs.

Pre-existing semantic knowledge provides an organizational structure for episodic memories. Here, the authors show that episodic learning systematically shapes this semantic space depending on how learners engage with material and the strength of prior associations.