Resurrected memories: Sleep-dependent memory consolidation saves memories from competition induced by retrieval practice

Abstract

Retrieval practice improves retention of tested information, and it can either impair or facilitate retention of untested information. Here, we investigated how semantic relatedness, episodic context, and sleep-dependent memory consolidation determine the effects of retrieval practice on retention of untested items. Participants studied lists of scene-word associations. Each scene was associated with two different words (“pairmates”) that were either semantically related or unrelated and either in the same (temporally close) or different lists (temporally far). In three experiments, retrieval practice of scene-word associations facilitated retention of unpracticed, temporally close pairmates and impaired retention of temporally far, semantically unrelated pairmates. Critically, retrieval practice impaired retention of temporally far, semantically related pairmates if participants were unable to sleep during the retention interval, but it facilitated retention of these items if participants were able to sleep. Our findings suggest that sleep extends the benefits of testing to related information learned in temporally separate episodes.