*Time and date:* 14:00 (CET), Tuesday, 22. 02. 2022. *Speaker:* Gergő Orbán (Computational Systems Neuroscience Lab, Wigner Research Centre for Physics) *Title:* Episodic memory for hypothesis testing *Zoom link:* https://ppk-elte-hu.zoom.us/j/95983360984?pwd=OVFvd2lxcUJkZzQ0NG56cmdlYXU5Z… *Meeting ID:* 959 8336 0984 *Passcode:* 037997 *Abstract:* The ability to evaluate the validity of alternative hypotheses is one of the cornerstones of learning. This is a major challenge in artificial learning systems and lack of it has consequences such as catastrophic interference: the situation where acquired knowledge is wiped out by new incoming information. Human memory systems show remarkable resistance to such effects but the computational principles underlying this ability are not well understood. Using inspirations from biological memory systems, we propose that a combination of episodic memory and generative replay can provide support for close to optimal evaluation of competing hypotheses. We identify two predictions of this learning framework that concern learning multiple tasks from observation: specific sensitivity to task structure and sensitivity to task schedule. We contrast these predictions with data from human experiments where participants had to learn to perform multiple tasks with the same set of complex naturalistic stimuli. In this scenario, our analysis highlights that failure to acquire a new task coincides with the regime where a normative learning algorithm also fails to learn. If you have questions about the event, please contact us via email (nemecz.zsuzsanna(a)ppk.elte.hu or reka.schvajda(a)ppk.elte.hu). We look forward to seeing you at the event, Zsuzsanna Nemecz Réka Schvajda organizers ELTE Department of Cognitive Psychology