Consolidation Theory
Principles of Forgetting
Consolidation Theory
Curtis Zizzo
3 Predictions of
Consolidation Theory
1.) A period of mental inactivity is more
conducive to perseveration and consolidation.
2.) If perseveration is interrupted then the trace
can’t be consolidated or stored.
3.) If consolidation is prevented, the item should
never be recalled because the essential storage
phase is incomplete.
•(1924 Jenkins and Dallenbach) 2 subjects lived in lab for a
period of time, learned lists of items and were asked to recall
them after 1,2,4 or 8 hours of sleep or wakefulness.
•Subjects recalled more items following a period of sleep
• Not Really a theory of forgetting
• Rather a theory of why info isn’t stored properly
• After rehearsal a period perseveration occurs
• The longer this period is allowed to continue the more
consolidated the memory trace
• If perseveration interrupted – consolidation is not
possible – recall is not possible
• It was suggested that perseveration is ST memory and
the consolidated trace is LT memory
1.) A period of mental inactivity is more conducive to
perseveration and consolidation
• Ample evidence to support this claim
• (1885 Ebbinghaus) rate of forgetting is slowed when a period
of sleep occurs between studying and taking a test
• (1946 Dallenbach) Effects of inactivity on perseveration when
sleep isn' t involved. Conditioned cockroaches to elicit an
avoidance response, some roaches were allowed to continue
normal activity and others were wrapped in cotton and placed
in match boxes. This was done to minimize movements and
mental activity.
• Roaches that were deprived of stimulation showed a greater
retention of the avoidance response.
Interpretation:
When the perservation period is
unhindered by other mental activity and
is allowed to continue for a longer
duration without interruption, the
memory trace (avoidance response or
items for a test) will be better
consolidated.
1
 2.) If the Perseveration period is interrupted than
the trace cant be consolidated and thus the memory
can’t be stored
•Retrograde amnesia –cannot recall events that occurred before
some trauma
•According to consolidation theory the perseveratory period was
interrupted by the trauma and thus consolidation was incomplete.
Therefore events that occurred right before the trauma can’t be
remembered.
•(1949 Duncan) used ECS, as one side effect of ECS in both
humans and other animals is retrograde amnesia
•Trained rats using an avoidance procedure, 2 chambered box, rat
placed in box, received mild foot shock if it hadn’t moved to other
chamber within 10s.
•rats learn this rather quickly, varied the time between the
completion of the learned avoidance response and the
administration of the ECS from 20s to 4hr. (Control-No ECS)
Problems ?!?
•If the rat failed to elicit the avoidance response:
•The rat may have forgotten the avoidance response as
interpreted by Duncan
OR
•The rat may simply be choosing the lesser of 2 evils.
Staying in place and receiving a mild foot shock may be
preferable to moving to the other chamber (which was the
avoidance response) to ultimately receive a more severe
ECS.
•Thus the rat may remain stationary due to amnesia or
fear. If it is in fact fear, then this experiment does little to
support the theory.
3.) If consolidation is prevented the item
should NEVER be recalled.
•Weakest claim of consolidation theory in terms of supporting vs.
conflicting evidence
•(1972 Quartermain, McEwan and Azmita) tested this claim using
a similar procedure to that of Chorover and Schiller, main
difference they were tested for retention after 24, 48 and 72 hours
after the ECS. No evidence of retention of the learning response in
the 24hr and 48hr groups, but it was remembered after 72 hrs.
•This suggests that the memory was in-fact stored but was
unavailable for over 48 hours due to the ECS but after 72 hours had
elapsed the memory became available again.
•This is a direct contradiction of the third prediction of
consolidation theory
•The longer the delay of the ECS the better the retention of the avoidance
response.
•In terms of theory: The longer the perseveratory period the better
consolidated the memory trace. Duncan estimated the time needed for
consolidation to be 1hr.
•(1965 Chorover and Schiller) recognized these problems and designed a
similar experiment except this time no active response was required to signify
learning (rat supposed to remain stationary)
•the rat was placed on top of a platform, rat’s by nature avoid high places so
it would step off, when this occurred a mild foot shock was delivered. If it
stayed on the platform nothing would happen. Once again the time was
varied between the learning episode and the ECS tested for retention 24 hours
later
•Note: If the rat does simply fear the ECS it will remain on the platform, if on
the other hand it forgets the foot shock it will step down.
•Results: If the ECS is administered within 10s then there is retrograde
amnesia and the learning episode is forgotten, if the ECS delayed for longer
than 10s then the learning episode is still remembered.
•Therefore, Chorover and Schiller estimated that consolidation can occur in
10 seconds.
•This worked nicely with conceptions of the duration of short term memory
•However Duncan estimated 1hr for consolidation whereas these two
estimated 10s
•(1972 Miller and Springer) similar experiment gave rats a
reminder foot shock outside of the experimental chamber after
the ECS. (just gave them a shock for no reason, didn’t
constitute a learning trial)
•this wiped out all traces of amnesia as they now remembered
the learning trial whereas those rats who didn’t receive this
“reminder” were unable to remember the learning trial
In Sum: although there is much evidence
against a strong form of consolidation
theory a weaker version is surely correct
in some respects.