UNLEARNING MAJOR,JOHN - THE USE OF ERRORLESS LEARNING IN THE REACQUISITION OF PROPER-NAMES FOLLOWING HERPES-SIMPLEX ENCEPHALITIS

In this study we examined the value of errorless learning as a means o f restoring memory for proper names in an individual who had become dy snomic following herpes simplex encephalitis. Ln Experiment 1 the erro rless learning technique was used to teach the subject (PM) the names of eight politicians that he had forgotten. Ln evaluating the techniqu e, we also examined whether there was any generalisation to the naming of untrained politicians' names that he had also forgotten and whethe r the technique had any effect on politicians' names he was able to pr oduce at the outset of training. Training was successful in that PM re ached criterion on naming the trained faces but there was no recovery of untrained names. Moreover, we also observed inhibition of politicia ns' name he was able to produce at the outset of the study. Experiment 2 used a similar procedure to teach PM the names of personal friends that he could not remember. However, the technique was modified so as to include a ''refresh'' trial at the end of each training session for those friends' names he was already able to produce. Errorless learni ng again facilitated the reacquisition of names but there was no inhib ition of names available at the outset. These data illustrate that err orless learning can be used as a means of restoring lost vocabulary bu t demonstrate how retrieval inhibition is an important element in eval uating overall effectiveness. In addition, the data are discussed in r elation to recent theories of memory restoration.