What is memory for action?
Type de matériel :
16
This paper presents an overview of various studies on memory for action, in normal functioning and neurological pathologies. Memory for action is a distinct form of episodic memory that is particularly important in everyday life, although current literature is not very abundant. The enactment effect (i.e. better memory for performed actions than for verbally encoded sentences) is usually described as a robust effect in aging and can be found in many diseases. Although the enactment effect has been studied for three decades, there is still no consensus on how it enhances memory. Different theories postulate the motor component as crucial, and the importance of binding or goal-oriented actions. Memory for action also provides information on source memory and sense of agency (i.e. subjective awareness that one is controlling one’s own movement). Moreover, numerous studies have shown the importance of the enactment effect in children and adults’ new learning, and the possibility of using this effect in patients’ rehabilitation, including amnesic ones. Characteristics of memory for action and the mechanisms underlying the enactment effect still remain unclear and other research needs to be carried out.
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