Studying memory narratives with natural language processing.

Journal: Trends in cognitive sciences
Published Date: Mar 19, 2025

Abstract

Cognitive neuroscience research has begun to use natural language processing (NLP) to examine memory narratives with the hopes of gaining a nuanced understanding of the mechanisms underlying differences in memory recall, both across groups and tasks. However, the diversity of NLP approaches can make it challenging for researchers to know which techniques to use and when to apply them. We outline how different NLP techniques can be applied to narrative descriptions to address specific questions about the neurocognitive processes underlying memory narratives. We also discuss the strengths and limitations of NLP methods for use in memory research, highlighting both their potential and their constraints in uncovering the mechanisms of remembering.

Authors

  • Can Fenerci
    Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada.
  • Ziming Cheng
    Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  • Donna Rose Addis
    Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Buddhika Bellana
    Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, Glendon Campus, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  • Signy Sheldon
    Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: signy.sheldon@mcgill.ca.

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