Although it is well known that reward enhances learning and memory, how extensively such enhancement occurs remains unclear. To address this question, we examined how reward influences retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) in which the retrieval of a nonpracticed item under the same category as a practiced item is worse than the retrieval of a nonpracticed item outside the category. Subjects were asked to try to encode category-exemplar pairs (e.g., FISH-salmon). Then, they were presented with a category name and a two-letter word stem (e.g., FISH-sa) and were asked to complete an encoded word (retrieval practice). For a correct response, apple juice was given as a reward in the reward condition and a beeping sound was presented in the no-reward condition. Finally, subjects were asked to report whether each exemplar had been presented in the first phase. RIF was replicated in the no-reward condition. However, in the reward condition, RIF was eliminated. These results suggest that reward enhances processing of retrieval of unpracticed members by mechanisms such as spreading activation within the same category, irrespective of whether items were practiced or not.reward | retrieval-induced forgetting | learning | memory A lthough it has been found that reward significantly enhances learning and memory (1-8), how extensively reward influences learning and memory processing has yet to be explored. It has been recently found that a subthreshold stimulus which was merely exposed in a visual field was learned if paired with reward, but was not if paired with no reward (5). These results suggest that in contrast to the role of attention which is to enhance only processing relevant to a given task, reward enhances learning of a presented item, irrespective of whether the item is task-relevant or not. An important question is how extensively reward influences learning and memory. To address this question, we examined how reward influences retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) in which the retrieval of a nonpracticed item under the same category as a practiced item is worse than the retrieval of a nonpracticed item beyond the category (9). If reward completely unselectively enhances memory of any item, then it should enhance the retrieval of unpracticed items both within and beyond the category to which the practiced items belong. If reward selectively enhances only practiced items, it should not influence the retrieval of a nonpracticed item irrespective of whether it is within or beyond the category. In both cases, RIF should be observed because reward should not differentially influence the retrieval of nonpracticed items within and beyond the category. In contrast, if reward enhances items only within the category, irrespective of whether it was practiced or not, the degree of RIF should be significantly reduced or abolished.In the present study, when no reward was given on each trial of the practice session, RIF was observed. However, when reward was given, there was no significant performance difference between recalls of n...