Josefa Pandeirada, University of Aveiro, Portugal
Abstract: Why do we remember some information better than others? The adaptive memory framework proposes that memory has evolved to prioritize information relevant to recurrent fitness challenges. This perspective has generated a growing body of research demonstrating memory advantages in evolutionarily significant contexts, including the survival processing and contamination effects. This talk will review methods used to study these phenomena, summarize empirical evidence, and present recent findings from our laboratory. Novel methodological approaches, including immersive virtual reality, will also be presented in the context of the contamination effect. Finally, we will discuss how these lines of research can advance our understanding of memory functioning while opening new avenues for experimental research.