Event segmentation as a working memory process.

Radvansky, Gabriel A.

doi:10.1016/j.jarmac.2017.01.002

Cited by 21 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 18 publications

(23 reference statements)

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“…Individuals fluently segment a flow of events into episodes , a process closely linked to working memory (Kurby and Zacks, 2008;Radvansky, 2017;Richmond et al, 2017). Here, we examined what aspect of working memory is linked to eventsegmentation, instantiated as the number of determined events.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Event segmentation reveals working memory forgetting rate

Jafarpour

Buffalo

Knight

et al. 2019

Preprint

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We perceive the world as a series of events and fluidly segment them into episodes. Although individuals generally agree on the segmentation at the occurrence of a salient event, the number of determined segments is variable. Working memory plays a key role in tracking and segmenting a sequence of events; however, it is unclear which aspect of working memory is related to individual variability in event segmentation. We used computational modeling to extract the working memory capacity and forgetting rate of healthy adults (n=36) from an association learning task, and we studied a link between individuals' working memory limitations and the subjective number of determined events in three movies with different storylines. We found that memory decay, measured in the learning task, is related to event segmentation: Participants who perceived either a very low (under-segmenters) or a very high (over-segmenters) number of events had a higher forgetting rate. We observed that under-segmenters performed better on a temporal recognition task for the movie with a linear storyline and an overarching story, benefiting from the schema. In contrast, the over-segmenters performed better at free recall than undersegmenters for all the movies. The results provide evidence that variability in forgetting rate is linked to the variability in event perception. IntroductionWe experience the world as a series of events and perceive events as segments (Zacks et al., 2006;. Every individual's experience is different in terms of how this flow of events is segmented. Segmentation occurs with perceiving a salient event -e.g., a change in the situation, the characters, or the goal (Jafarpour et al., 2019;Radvansky and Zacks, 2017). According to the current model of event segmentation , the working memory system tracks events to help define new event boundaries.; segmentation is determined by attention (Bailey et al., 2017) and expectations (Hymel et al., 2016). However, the link between working memory limitations and event segmentation has not been directly shown.Working memory is limited in two ways: the amount of information retained, and the duration of maintenance of this information (Baddeley, 2003(Baddeley, , 2012Bays and Husain, 2008;D'Esposito and Postle, 2015). These two limitations are often measured as working memory capacity, which accounts for how many items can be held in memory (Baddeley, 1992;Bays et al., 2009;Cowan, 2010;Vogel and Machizawa, 2004), and the forgetting rate, that limits how long the information persists in the face of interference (Baddeley, 2012;Collins and Frank, 2012). A challenge in measuring these limitations is that other cognitive systems such as attention can contribute to the accuracy of short term memory (Jafarpour et al., 2017;Rose et al., 2016;Zokaei et al., 2014).Collins and Frank (2012) designed an association learning task that disentangled the working memory and learning systems and enabled the identification of both limitations of working memory (capacity and decay). In each learning ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Event segmentation reveals working memory forgetting rate

Jafarpour

Buffalo

Knight

et al. 2019

Preprint

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“…This storage and linking mechanism would be triggered when the current event model fails to predict present circumstances. The current event trace is then consolidated into memory, where it now serves as the new event model against which further event‐boundary transitions can be detected (Radvansky, 2017; Richmond & Zacks, 2017; Zacks et al, 2007). Segmenting experience into these units would have adaptive value because it allows for the reactivation of a particular event model when an experience that is similar to some previous scenario is encountered.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neural Markers of Event Boundaries

Bilkey

Jensen

2019

Topics in Cognitive Science

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The continuous flow of sensorimotor experience is segmented into events that are stored in memory as discrete representations. These events are subsequently available for reconstruction into episodic memories or to be recombined for future thinking, prediction and imagination. Here we briefly review the patterns of brain activity that accompany the processing of events, and the transitions between them, with an aim to identifying signals that would serve as event boundary markers (EBMs). Since many previous studies have highlighted a role for the hippocampus in episodic memory function, consolidation and future thinking, we focus on activity in this region. In particular, we describe the brief bursts of hippocampal activity known as sharp‐wave ripples (SWRs), which tend to occur following the cessation of units of behavior, making them putative EBM candidates. While most current models of SWR function tend to focus on a potential role in memory consolidation or preplay linked to future thinking, here we consider an interpretation that incorporates an EBM component.

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“…it is important to discuss the prominent role of verb predicates in establishing the core structure of events in language and its relation to cognition. The information lexicalised in a verb constitutes the central part of an event because it specifies the particular type of interaction and relationship in which event participants (people and objects) engage (Beavers et al, 2010;Pustejovsky, 1991;Rappaport Hovav & Levin, 2010;Talmy, 2000;Vendler, 1957, among many others). Furthermore, it has been argued that the particular event structure as expressed by verb predicates can affect how events are mentally represented (e.g.…”

Section: Events In Languagementioning

confidence: 99%

Event endings in memory and language

Santin

Hout

Flecken

2021

Language, Cognition and Neuroscience

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Memory is fundamental for comprehending and segmenting the flow of activity around us into units called "events". Here, we investigate the effect of the movement dynamics of actions (ceased, ongoing) and the inner structure of events (with or without object-state change) on people's event memory. Furthermore, we investigate how describing events, and the meaning and form of verb predicates used (denoting a culmination moment, or not, in single verbs or verb-satellite constructions), affects event memory. Before taking a surprise recognition task, Spanish and Mandarin speakers (who lexicalise culmination in different verb predicate forms) watched short videos of events, either in a non-verbal (probe-recognition) or a verbal experiment (event description). Results show that culminated events (i.e. ceased change-of-state events) were remembered best across experiments. Language use showed to enhance memory overall. Further, the form of the verb predicates used for denoting culmination had a moderate effect on memory.

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Event segmentation as a working memory process.

Cited by 21 publications

References 18 publications

Event segmentation reveals working memory forgetting rate

Event segmentation reveals working memory forgetting rate

Neural Markers of Event Boundaries

Event endings in memory and language

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