Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
Associative memory—or the ability to form a memory representation linking two previously unrelated concepts—is a critical aspect of learning. This work provides insight into strategies that can be used to support associative memory, their underlying mechanisms, and their effectiveness in autistic and non-autistic learners. Chapter 1 demonstrates that iconic gestures can be used as a tool to enhance associative memory by increasing word concreteness and imageability. This effect was eliminated when the iconic gestures were interspersed with ambiguous nonsense gestures, suggesting a boundary on these benefits that depends on listener expectations regarding gesture clarity. However, it remains unknown whether gestures show the same benefits for autistic individuals. Previous work related to gesture and autism have yielded mixed findings, possibly due to the use of different stimuli across studies. In Chapter 2, this limitation is addressed through the creation of a freely available database of gesture videos normed for comprehensibility by autistic and non-autistic participants. Both groups rated gestures as similarly meaningful, yet autistic participants provided a more diverse set of descriptive labels than non-autistic participants. However, response semantic similarity scores were comparable between groups, suggesting that group differences may have occurred at the lexical rather than the semantic level. Finally, Chapter 3 provides the first demonstration that memory in autistic and non-autistic learners is similarly benefitted by retrieval practice and post-retrieval feedback. Additionally, confidence ratings well-calibrated with accuracy in both groups suggests reliable metacognitive monitoring. Together, the works described in this dissertation have theoretical and practical implications related to learning, memory, social cognition, and multimodal processing, with particular relevance for autistic adults.
Date
7-4-2024
Recommended Citation
Cairney, Brianna E., "Optimizing Associative Memory in Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults: Retrieval Practice, Post-Retrieval Feedback, and Gesture" (2024). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 6543.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/6543
Committee Chair
Lucas, Heather D.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.6543