J. Schedlowski (Josefine)

My PhD project focuses on implicit and explicit learning in healthy older adults and patients with amnesic symptoms. Implicit learning, an unconscious absorption of information, contrasts sharply with explicit learning, where knowledge is gained intentionally and is accessible to our consciousness. Amnesic symptoms, as seen in disorders such as Korsakoff Syndrome or Mild Cognitive Impairment, impose daily challenges onto the affected person due to a diminished explicit learning ability. However, it has been shown that implicit learning abilities remain largely intact. By assessing the impact of different types of instructions on memory performance as well as by exploring new training principles based on implicit learning, we aim to inform the development of new interventions to help memory-impaired individuals to overcome memory-difficulties in their daily life.
To this end we make use of behavioral tasks – based on the principles of contingency learning and stimulus equivalence learning – in combination with electroencephalogram (EEG) to explore implicit learning in healthy older adults and amnesic patient populations. With this project, we aim to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge of associative learning and practical therapeutic interventions. Our work not only promises to expand our understanding of how learning occurs in different contexts but also seeks to offer new, effective strategies for memory improvement, particularly for those struggling with amnesia.