Skip to main content
Journal cover image

'Unlearning' has a stabilizing effect in collective memories.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Hopfield, JJ; Feinstein, DI; Palmer, RG
Published in: Nature
July 1983

Crick and Mitchison have presented a hypothesis for the functional role of dream sleep involving an 'unlearning' process. We have independently carried out mathematical and computer modelling of learning and 'unlearning' in a collective neural network of 30-1,000 neurones. The model network has a content-addressable memory or 'associative memory' which allows it to learn and store many memories. A particular memory can be evoked in its entirety when the network is stimulated by any adequate-sized subpart of the information of that memory. But different memories of the same size are not equally easy to recall. Also, when memories are learned, spurious memories are also created and can also be evoked. Applying an 'unlearning' process, similar to the learning processes but with a reversed sign and starting from a noise input, enhances the performance of the network in accessing real memories and in minimizing spurious ones. Although our model was not motivated by higher nervous function, our system displays behaviours which are strikingly parallel to those needed for the hypothesized role of 'unlearning' in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Nature

DOI

EISSN

1476-4687

ISSN

0028-0836

Publication Date

July 1983

Volume

304

Issue

5922

Start / End Page

158 / 159

Related Subject Headings

  • Sleep, REM
  • Neurons
  • Models, Psychological
  • Memory
  • Mathematics
  • Learning
  • Humans
  • General Science & Technology
  • Brain
  • Animals
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Hopfield, J. J., Feinstein, D. I., & Palmer, R. G. (1983). 'Unlearning' has a stabilizing effect in collective memories. Nature, 304(5922), 158–159. https://doi.org/10.1038/304158a0
Hopfield, J. J., D. I. Feinstein, and R. G. Palmer. “'Unlearning' has a stabilizing effect in collective memories.Nature 304, no. 5922 (July 1983): 158–59. https://doi.org/10.1038/304158a0.
Hopfield JJ, Feinstein DI, Palmer RG. 'Unlearning' has a stabilizing effect in collective memories. Nature. 1983 Jul;304(5922):158–9.
Hopfield, J. J., et al. “'Unlearning' has a stabilizing effect in collective memories.Nature, vol. 304, no. 5922, July 1983, pp. 158–59. Epmc, doi:10.1038/304158a0.
Hopfield JJ, Feinstein DI, Palmer RG. 'Unlearning' has a stabilizing effect in collective memories. Nature. 1983 Jul;304(5922):158–159.
Journal cover image

Published In

Nature

DOI

EISSN

1476-4687

ISSN

0028-0836

Publication Date

July 1983

Volume

304

Issue

5922

Start / End Page

158 / 159

Related Subject Headings

  • Sleep, REM
  • Neurons
  • Models, Psychological
  • Memory
  • Mathematics
  • Learning
  • Humans
  • General Science & Technology
  • Brain
  • Animals