A01 A02 A03 A04 A05 A06 A07 A09 A10 A11 A12 A13 A14 A18 A19 A21 F01 F02 INF Ö

Treasure Box Funding for Julian Packheiser (A01)

Julian was excited whether his request would be granted. He has been interested in the idea behind this planned study for a long time now. Years ago he allready received a small grant from the Extinction Group for a precursor of this study and is now keen to develop his very first idea for extinction. Congratulations on approval! That’s how he explains his study plan:

Title: „The influence of memory consolidation on extinction learning and renewal“
Extinction learning is a fundamental ability for organisms in order to adapt to the ever-changing environment. It describes the capacity to modify previously learned associations that have become obsolete (Pavlov, 1927). An important finding about extinction learning is that it is not a simple process of unlearning. Several phenomena demonstrate that the initial acquisition is merely inhibited during extinction learning, not simply forgotten (Bouton, 2004). One of these phenomena is known as the renewal effect. Renewal describes the context-specificity of extinction learning. If the process of extinction takes place in a different context than the original acquisition, the originally learned behavior might reappear when an organism is put into the acquisition context again (Bouton et al., 2012).

Extinction learning paradigms are classically divided into separate phases that take place on several consecutive days (Hamacher-Dang et al., 2013). The rationale behind this separation of acquisition, extinction and a subsequent test of the extinction memory trace under various conditions is the idea that the acquired knowledge has to be consolidated before retrieval. Memory consolidation is classically associated with the necessity of protein synthesis which requires at least several hours to occur (McKenzie & Eichenbaum, 2011, Nader & Einarsson, 2010). However, this notion of memory consolidation might be too exclusive as it does not consider memory consolidation based on immediate synaptic changes. The primary objective of this study is to compare the effects of renewal with and without a time interval in between to disentangle the importance of protein synthesis based memory consolidation for the occurrence and strength of the renewal effect. This project has major implications within the scope of the current SFB 1280 as several projects rely on the absence of a passed time window before testing for the renewal effect. If this study could provide evidence that the necessity of this passage of time is not a requirement for the existence of the renewal effect, several projects could use that data to support their chosen experimental approach. The secondary objective of this study is to compare the aforementioned potential effects of memory consolidation between pigeons and humans. Given the comparative nature of many projects in the SFB 1280 using animal models, this study could also provide support for these approaches if the effects of passed time on renewal turn out to be similar in both species.

Bouton, M.E. (2004). Context and behavioral processes in extinction. Learning & Memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) 11, 485–494.

Bouton, M. E., Winterbauer, N. E., & Todd, T. P. (2012). Relapse processes after the extinction of instrumental learning: renewal, resurgence, and reacquisition. Behavioural processes, 90(1), 130-141.

Hamacher-Dang, T., Engler, H., Schedlowski, M., & Wolf, O. T. (2013). Stress enhances the consolidation of extinction memory in a predictive learning task. Frontiers in behavioral  neuroscience, 7, 108.

McKenzie, S., & Eichenbaum, H. (2011). Consolidation and reconsolidation: two lives of memories?. Neuron, 71(2), 224-233.

Nader, K., & Einarsson, E. Ö. (2010). Memory reconsolidation: an update. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1191(1), 27-41.

Pavlov, I. P. (1927). Conditioned reflexes (G.V. Anrep, Ed. & Trans.). London: Oxford University Press.

 

 

The SFB 1280 has set up a budget for the realization of its young researchers’ own research ideas. With the “treasure chest” we finance convincing and independent study concepts of young scientists.

 

New Year, New Me: The Facts

As the calendar turns to a new year, millions of people around the world commit to New Year’s resolutions, making promises to use the new year as a fresh beginning and an opportunity for transformation. In 2024, almost three-quarters of the British population set themselves New Year’s resolutions — that’s around 40 million people (or the entire population of Canada). This tradition was particularly strong among younger generations, with 96% of Generation Z (aged 18-27) planning resolutions, compared to just 35% of the Silent Generation (aged 79+).

Most common new years resolutions:

  1. Saving more money (52%)
  2. Eat healthier (50%)
  3. Exercise more (48%)
  4. Lose weight (37%)
  5. Spend more time with family/friends (35%)

How long do most resolutions normally last before being broken?

  • Data from America (2016) shows that 75% of individuals maintain their resolutions through the first week. 
  • 64% of individuals maintain their resolutions through the first month. 
  • 46% of individuals in America keep their resolutions past the 6-month mark.

What makes resolutions stick?

Oscarsson et al. (2020) conducted research into what makes New Year’s resolutions stick. Biggest success rates depended on how people phrased their goals. Participants who set approach-oriented goals (trying to move toward or maintain a desirable outcome or state) than those with avoidance-oriented goals (trying to move toward or maintain a desirable outcome or state) were significantly more successful (58.9% vs. 47.1%) at sticking to their goals.

The study also investigates the effects of outside support. These participants received monthly follow-ups and emails with information and exercises for coping with hurdles when striving toward personal goals, and were also encouraged to set goals using the SMART technique and to set interim goals. The group that received some support was exclusively and significantly more successful compared to the groups who received a lot of support or no support at all. 

Additionally, you might feel more successful if you set goals that are measurable in numbers. While success for a person striving to quit smoking or lose weight could easily be measured in the number of cigarettes smoked or body mass index, the success for a person striving to “take better care of themselves” could be highly subjective and possibly impossible to measure.

So as we enter 2026, let’s remember to work with our brain’s natural learning system: Frame your goals positively, break them into manageable steps, and celebrate small wins along the way.