Cited by 50Sleep and Wakefulness ResearchMemory Processes and InfluencesMemory and Neural Mechanisms

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 34 of the 34 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Sleep’s role in the processing of unwanted memories: Sleep and processing of unwanted memories

FISCHER, STEFAN, DIEKELMANN, SUSANNE, BORN, JAN·2011·Journal of Sleep Research

Abstract

The concept of 'repression' dates back to Freud, assuming that undesirable memories can become suppressed and that dreams ease repression by permitting these memories to be reinstated. Here, we followed this idea adopting the 'directed forgetting' approach of experimental psychology. The voluntary suppression of unwanted memories results in impaired later retrieval. Because sleep is known to benefit consolidation of newly learned materials, including cognitive skills, we hypothesized that memory suppression would be enhanced by sleep, and perhaps particularly by rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is associated more often with dream reports. Subjects (n=42) learned a list of word-pairs and, subsequently, the first (cue) words of the pairs were presented again; for half these words subjects had to recall respective second words (response pairs) and for the other half they had to keep respective second words out of mind (suppression pairs). Retrieval of both response and suppression pairs was tested after 8h of sleep or wakefulness (main experiment) or after 3-h periods of early slow wave sleep (SWS)-rich or late REM-rich sleep (supplementary experiment). Response pairs were generally recalled better after sleep than wakefulness (P<0.05). Recall of suppression pairs was, as expected, worse than of response pairs. Contrary to our hypothesis, memory for suppression pairs was not affected differentially by sleep. In the supplementary experiment, compared to SWS-rich sleep, REM-rich sleep even improved recall of suppression pairs (P<0.05). Thus, sleep does not benefit the forgetting of unwanted memories but, on the contrary, REM sleep might even counteract the voluntary suppression of memories making them more accessible for retrieval.

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Crossref · 10.1111/j.1365-2869.2010.00881.x

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Janke, 1978, Die Eigenschaftswörterliste (EWL)

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Metadata

Authors
FISCHER, S., DIEKELMANN, S., & BORN, J.
Affiliations
  • Universität Innsbruck (AT)
  • University of Lübeck (DE)
Venue
Journal of Sleep Research
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2010-08-17
Volume
20
Issue
2
Pages
267-274
ISSN
0962-1105 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1602553625
Cited by
50
References
34
Citations by year
2025: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 5
FWCI
2.90
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Journal of Sleep Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
Keywords
sleep, memory suppression, directed forgetting, unwanted memories, repression, REM sleep, slow-wave sleep, memory consolidation, memory retrieval, dream recall, word pair recall
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Adult, Awareness, Dreams, Female, Humans, Inhibition, Psychological, Male, Paired-Associate Learning, Mental Recall, Repression, Psychology, Retention, Psychology, Sleep Stages, Sleep, REM, Wakefulness, Young Adult

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