Project description
Investigating active recall’s role in memory
Active recall improves learning more effectively than re-reading, but it may also change the kind of memory that is retained. Research suggests that remembering can strengthen the meaning or gist of an experience at the expense of vivid episodic detail. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the REFINE project will test whether this shift is inevitable or whether recall can be guided to preserve fine-grained detail over time. Using behavioural memory tests after one and 14 days and fMRI to examine hippocampal and neocortical involvement after two days, REFINE will reveal how active recall reshapes memory quality. The findings may help optimise retrieval-based learning in education and other real-world settings.
Objective
Does the way we remember shape our memory? Active remembering is known to benefit memory far more than re-reading information. This testing effect critically informs education, where teachers use quizzes not only to assess but also to enhance learning. Most research, however, has focused on the amount of information retained, treating memory as simply present or absent. Yet it matters not only that we remember but also how—whether we can recollect vivid details or only the gist of an experience. Recent evidence indicates that active remembering may favor semantic features at the cost of episodic detail, facilitating the transformation of memories from detailed to more gist-like, semanticized forms. REFINE will test whether this shift is inevitable or whether active remembering can be guided to preserve episodic detail over time. Two complementary studies will manipulate whether remembering focuses on semantic or perceptual features. A behavioural study will track effects on memory quality after 1 and 14 days, while an fMRI study will examine neural underpinnings after 2 days, specifically the hippocampal and neocortical contributions, expected to support detailed recollection and semanticized memory, respectively. By combining innovative measures of memory quality with state-of-the-art neuroimaging, REFINE will reveal how active remembering transforms memory and whether it can be guided to preserve episodic detail or foster generalization—unlocking new ways to harness active recall in the classroom and beyond.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
G12 8QQ Glasgow
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.