Memory’s reflection of learned information value increases across development.

Abstract

Prioritizing memory for the information most likely to be useful in the future is critical to learning effectively in our complex world. Previous work has revealed that the ability to strategically encode high-value information may improve gradually over development, as the systems supporting cognitive control processes mature. However, studies of value-directed memory have relied on explicit cues that signal the importance of information, which are rarely present in realworld contexts. Here, we examined whether individuals across age groups could learn the relative frequency of items in their environment and prioritize memory for information associated with higher frequency items, which would ultimately enable them to earn more reward. We found that from childhood to early adulthood, individuals gained the ability to dynamically adjust memory based on the statistics of the environment (Experiment 1). In the absence of any relation between item frequency and the reward that could be earned for encoding related information, the increased exposure to higher frequency items did not facilitate associative memory (Experiment 2). Taken together, results from our two experiments suggest that the use of past experience to prioritize memory for high-value information strengthens with increasing age and is supported by the developing ability to derive explicit knowledge of the structure of the environment from experience.

Developmental change in prefrontal cortex recruitment supports the emergence of value-guided memory

“…This effect was modulated by age (χ2(1) = 10.69, p = .001) and quadratic age (χ2(1) = 9.89, p = .002), indicating that participants’ beliefs about item frequency influenced memory to the greatest degree in adolescence and early adulthood. Further, replicating our previous behavioral findings (Nussenbaum et al, 2020), we found that the linear model including explicit frequency reports (BIC = 5417.7) fit the data better than the linear model including the true frequency condition (BIC = 5433.6, χ2 = 15.39, p < .001), indicating that participants’ representations of item frequency influenced memory to a greater extent than the true item frequencies.…”

“…Indeed, prior work suggests that stronger memory traces for constituent components enhances associative memory (Popov & Reder, 2020;Reder et al, 2016). However, in our previous behavioral work (Nussenbaum et al, 2020), we found that removing the relation between item frequency and reward value eliminated the memory benefit for associations involving high-frequency items, suggesting that stimulus familiarity itself did not account for the influence of item frequency on memory in our task. Still, when frequency does predict value, stimulus familiarity may serve as a proxy for information utility.…”

“…We found that individuals exploited these naturalistic value signals and demonstrated better memory for information associated with high-relative to low-frequency items. Critically, this pattern of results varied with age; the strategic prioritization of high-value information in memory increased from age 7 to age 25 (Nussenbaum et al, 2020). It is unclear, however, if developmental improvements in memory prioritization stemmed from change in learning the relative value of information based on environmental statistics or using learned value signals to strategically prioritize memory.…”

“…By adulthood, individuals demonstrate the ability to prioritize memory for information that is likely to be most rewarding in the future (Adcock et al, 2006; M. S. Cohen et al, 2014, 2019; Hennessee et al, 2019; Shigemune et al, 2014; Shohamy & Adcock, 2010; Wittmann et al, 2005). Children, however, demonstrate weaker memory selectivity, often remembering relatively inconsequential information at the expense of higher-value items or associations (Castel et al, 2011; Hanten et al, 2007; Nussenbaum et al, 2020). Behavioral studies have found that the use of value to guide encoding and retrieval processes emerges and strengthens gradually throughout childhood and adolescence, promoting more efficient acquisition of useful knowledge with increasing age (Castel et al, 2011; Hanten et al, 2007; Nussenbaum et al, 2020).…”

“…Immediately following encoding, we administered a memory test in which participants had to select each item’s correct associate. Because frequency of exposure to an item may facilitate subsequent associative memory even when it does not signal the value of information (Popov & Reder, 2020; Reder et al, 2016), in our prior behavioral study (Nussenbaum et al, 2020), we examined the effects of item frequency on subsequent associative memory in two contexts: one in which item frequency signaled information value and one in which it did not. Critically, we found that with our experimental design, frequency only facilitated memory when it signaled the value of remembering information — increased item exposure did not in and of itself enhance subsequent associative memory.…”