Linde-Domingo Juan, Kerrén Casper
Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Hippocampus. 2025 May;35(3):e70015. doi: 10.1002/hipo.70015.
A longstanding principle in episodic memory research, known as the encoding specificity hypothesis, holds that an effective retrieval cue should closely match the original encoding conditions. This principle assumes that a successful retrieval cue remains static over time. Despite the broad acceptance of this idea, it conflicts with one of the most well-established findings in memory research: The dynamic and ever-changing nature of episodic memories. In this article, we propose that the most effective retrieval cue should engage with the current state of the memory, which may have shifted significantly since encoding. By redefining the criteria for successful recall, we challenge a core principle of the field and open new avenues for exploring memory accessibility, offering fresh insights into both theoretical, and applied domains.
情景记忆研究中的一个长期原则，即编码特异性假说，认为有效的检索线索应与原始编码条件紧密匹配。这一原则假定成功的检索线索会随时间保持不变。尽管这一观点被广泛接受，但它与记忆研究中最确凿的发现之一相冲突：情景记忆具有动态且不断变化的性质。在本文中，我们提出最有效的检索线索应与记忆的当前状态相关联，而记忆的当前状态自编码以来可能已发生显著变化。通过重新定义成功回忆的标准，我们对该领域的一个核心原则提出了挑战，并为探索记忆可及性开辟了新途径，为理论和应用领域都提供了新的见解。
