Three experiments were conducted, using different stimuli. In each, the students who had slept had fewer problems with false memory – choosing fewer incorrect words.
How does sleep help? The answer isn't known, Fenn said, but she suspects it may be due to sleep strengthening the source of the memory. The source, or context in which the information is acquired, is a vital element of the memory process.
Or perhaps the people who didn't sleep during the study were simply bombarded with information over the course of the day, affecting their memory ability, Fenn said.
Further research is warranted, she said, adding that she plans to study different population groups, particularly the elderly.
"We know older individuals generally have worse memory performance than younger individuals. We also know from other research that elderly individuals tend to be more prone to false memories," Fenn said. "Given the work we've done it's possible that sleep may actually help them to reject this false information. And potentially this could help to improve their quality of life in some way."
Kimberly Fenn, assistant professor of psychology at Michigan State University, discusses her study suggesting that sleep reduces errors in memory.
(Photo Credit: Michigan State University)
A study by Kimberly Fenn, cognitive neuroscientist at Michigan State University, suggests that sleep helps reduce errors in memory.
(Photo Credit: Michigan State University)
Source: Michigan State University