INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 11 Program Schedule 02/17/2024 10:45 am - 12:00 pm Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120) Poster Session 11: Cultural Neuropsychology \| Education/Training \| Professional Practice Issues Final Abstract #69 Investigating Differences in Memory Specificity Across Cultural Groups Fernanda Morales-Calva, Rice University, Houston, United States Bryant Polanco, Rice University, Houston, United States Ivanshi Ahuja, Rice University, Houston, United States Tania Núñez-Goya, Tecnológico de Monterrey, State of Mexico, Mexico Stephanie Leal, Rice University, Houston, United States Category: Memory Functions/Amnesia Keyword 1: memory: normal Keyword 2: multiculturalism Keyword 3: neurocognition Objective: Most research looking at cultural differences in memory specificity has focused on the differences between Easterners and Westerners. Moreover, the majority of the memory tasks used for these studies include isolated objects that are highly familiar specifically to White, American populations. Our goal was to create a more culturally diverse and ecologically valid memory task with stimuli accessible to all audiences. Here, we investigated how a novel mnemonic discrimination task, which provides a behavioral correlate of hippocampal pattern separation, may provide a useful framework to examine memory specificity across culture. Hippocampal pattern separation is a neural computation that allows for experiences with overlapping features to be stored independently and mnemonic discrimination tasks that tax this neural computation are more sensitive in aging compared to traditional memory tasks. Further, this project aimed to investigate how ethnicity and risk factors of AD impact memory performance in Latino vs non-Latino populations. Participants and Methods: We have developed a mnemonic discrimination task that includes culturally-inclusive and more generalizable images relative to existing mnemonic discrimination tasks that are highly familiar specifically to White, American populations. Through a sample of 60 participants (30 Latino, 30 non-Latino) we collected ratings on the perception of emotional valence, arousal, and similarity across image stimuli. Further, we have piloted our mnemonic discrimination task in a sample of 50 participants (25 Latino, 25 non-Latino) to examine two memory measures of interest: Target recognition, a general memory measure for repeated items, and lure discrimination, which measures how well participants discriminate similar items and depends on hippocampal pattern separation. We also collected a battery of well-validated questionnaires and neuropsychological tests given in the participant’s native language, and explored lifestyle factors, sociocultural, and cognitive differences between Latino and non-Latino populations. Results: We found that Latinos are significantly more likely to rate image pairs as more similar to one another than non-Latinos. This effect was most robust when viewing negative image pairs compared to neutral or positive image pairs. Additionally, Latinos are more likely to focus on emotional valence, interpreting negative stimuli as more negative and positive stimuli as more positive than non-Latinos. These results suggest that cultural identity may play an important role in perception of information that may then impact subsequent memory performance. This has important implications on memory specificity, which can be more finely captured through lure discrimination measures. Conclusions: This project aimed to investigate how culture can affect perception and memory specificity in Latino and non-Latino populations. Through the development of a culturally diverse, naturalistic mnemonic discrimination task, we have shown that cultural identity can impact perception and memory. Moreover, a mnemonic discrimination paradigm, provides a sensitive, low-cost behavioral framework to identify and examine memory specificity within this context, which is a novel and innovative endeavor. Our results have important implications for cognitive and neuropsychological research, as more emphasis should be placed on memory specificity across different ethnic and cultural groups.

Poster

02/17/2024
10:45 am - 12:00 pm
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)

Poster Session 11: Cultural Neuropsychology | Education/Training | Professional Practice Issues

Final Abstract #69

Investigating Differences in Memory Specificity Across Cultural Groups

Fernanda Morales-Calva, Rice University, Houston, United States
Bryant Polanco, Rice University, Houston, United States
Ivanshi Ahuja, Rice University, Houston, United States
Tania Núñez-Goya, Tecnológico de Monterrey, State of Mexico, Mexico
Stephanie Leal, Rice University, Houston, United States

Category: Memory Functions/Amnesia

Keyword 1: memory: normal
Keyword 2: multiculturalism
Keyword 3: neurocognition

Objective:

Most research looking at cultural differences in memory specificity has focused on the differences between Easterners and Westerners. Moreover, the majority of the memory tasks used for these studies include isolated objects that are highly familiar specifically to White, American populations. Our goal was to create a more culturally diverse and ecologically valid memory task with stimuli accessible to all audiences. Here, we investigated how a novel mnemonic discrimination task, which provides a behavioral correlate of hippocampal pattern separation, may provide a useful framework to examine memory specificity across culture. Hippocampal pattern separation is a neural computation that allows for experiences with overlapping features to be stored independently and mnemonic discrimination tasks that tax this neural computation are more sensitive in aging compared to traditional memory tasks. Further, this project aimed to investigate how ethnicity and risk factors of AD impact memory performance in Latino vs non-Latino populations.

Participants and Methods:

We have developed a mnemonic discrimination task that includes culturally-inclusive and more generalizable images relative to existing mnemonic discrimination tasks that are highly familiar specifically to White, American populations. Through a sample of 60 participants (30 Latino, 30 non-Latino) we collected ratings on the perception of emotional valence, arousal, and similarity across image stimuli. Further, we have piloted our mnemonic discrimination task in a sample of 50 participants (25 Latino, 25 non-Latino) to examine two memory measures of interest: Target recognition, a general memory measure for repeated items, and lure discrimination, which measures how well participants discriminate similar items and depends on hippocampal pattern separation. We also collected a battery of well-validated questionnaires and neuropsychological tests given in the participant’s native language, and explored lifestyle factors, sociocultural, and cognitive differences between Latino and non-Latino populations.

Results:

We found that Latinos are significantly more likely to rate image pairs as more similar to one another than non-Latinos. This effect was most robust when viewing negative image pairs compared to neutral or positive image pairs. Additionally, Latinos are more likely to focus on emotional valence, interpreting negative stimuli as more negative and positive stimuli as more positive than non-Latinos. These results suggest that cultural identity may play an important role in perception of information that may then impact subsequent memory performance. This has important implications on memory specificity, which can be more finely captured through lure discrimination measures.

Conclusions:

This project aimed to investigate how culture can affect perception and memory specificity in Latino and non-Latino populations. Through the development of a culturally diverse, naturalistic mnemonic discrimination task, we have shown that cultural identity can impact perception and memory. Moreover, a mnemonic discrimination paradigm, provides a sensitive, low-cost behavioral framework to identify and examine memory specificity within this context, which is a novel and innovative endeavor. Our results have important implications for cognitive and neuropsychological research, as more emphasis should be placed on memory specificity across different ethnic and cultural groups.