Contextual changes are important for memory organization (Ezzyat & Davachi, 2011; 2014) and recent work suggests that such changes engage the brain's norepinephrine (NE) system in a way that is important for long-term memory organization (Clewett et al., 2020). Although the activity of the NE system cannot be measured directly in humans during task performance, other measures such as the P300 scalp EEG component are thought to provide an indirect index of NE system engagement (Nieuwenhuis et al., 2005). If the P300 component reflects NE system engagement at contextual changes, then modulations of the P300 component should have an impact on long-term memory organization. This thesis will begin to address this prediction, which has previously not been tested. To do so, we developed a novel behavioral experiment based on prior work that has evaluated the P300 scalp EEG component (Gonsalvez & Polich, 2002). In our experiment, participants viewed images from two visual categories in pseudorandom sequences; the sequences were designed such that most of the images were from a single category (Non-Target, NT) while the remaining less-frequent images were from the other category (Target, T). Based on prior work, we predicted that participants would be slower and more accurate to respond to more frequent NT images when presented with them during encoding. After viewing the images participants were then tested for their long-term memory for images. Our hypothesis was that seeing an infrequent T image during encoding would engage NE, and would therefore enhance later memory for those items. Additionally, we hypothesized that the NE response at T images would carry over to affect memory for NT images that followed T images. Therefore, following initial viewing of the images, we tested participants' long-term memory for the previously seen images. Behaviorally, we found that participants remembered numerically more T images as compared to NT; even though their performance during initial encoding of the images was worse for T compared to NT images. For NT images specifically, memory accuracy decreased the further away the N image was from the preceding T image, suggesting that the response to T images carried over to subsequent images, with a decaying gradient over time. We observed these long-term memory differences even though response times to N and T trials were matched at encoding and retrieval. Our behavioral data show that long-term memory is improved for T images and suggest this enhancement may carry over to subsequently encountered stimuli. We discuss our predictions for a future scalp EEG experiment that will test whether NE engagement at T images (indexed by P300 amplitude) correlates with long-term memory performance for T images and succeeding N images. This thesis aims to answer how memory research can be emulated in the choreographic process,and how the results of this research can be applied to optimize the performance experience for the viewer. Specifically, how expectation can be manipulated through choreographic sequence alterations. This proposed performance optimization may lead to a viewing experience that is not only memorable, but that will interject into the personal schema by using choreographic construction that mirrors stimuli construction that is known to manipulate expectancy and heighten surprise through engagement of the brain's norepinephrine system. This interjection, if successful, will increase accessibility to art by providing a universal analytical framework that aims to form engaging art for all people.
"},{"label":"Degree","value":["Bachelor of Arts with Departmental Honors"]},{"label":"Author-supplied Keywords","value":["Memory organization","Contextual change","Choreography"]},{"label":"Administrative Note","value":"Drupal Node ID: 23598