Memory-based cognition depends on both the ability to remember specific details of individual experiences and the ability to combine information across experiences to generalize and derive new knowledge. A hippocampal role in rapid encoding of specific events is long established. More recent research also demonstrates hippocampal contributions to generalization, but their nature is still debated. The current review provides an overview of hippocampal-based generalization in two lines of research—episodic inference and categorization—and discusses evidence for four candidate mechanisms and representational schemes that may underpin such generalization. We highlight evidence showing that the hippocampus contributes specific memories to generalization decisions, but also forms generalized representations that integrate information across experiences. Multiple views are currently plausible of how such generalized representations form and relate to specific memories. Future research that uses behavioral and neural indices of both generalization and specificity may help resolve between the candidate generalization mechanisms, with the possibility that more than one view of hippocampal-based generalization may be valid. Importantly, all views share the emphasis on the broader role of the hippocampus in cognition that goes beyond remembering the past.

基于记忆的认知既取决于记住个人经历的特定细节的能力，也取决于将跨经历的信息结合起来以概括和推导出新知识的能力。海马在特定事件的快速编码中的作用早已确立。最近的研究也证明了海马体对泛化的贡献，但它们的性质仍然存在争议。当前的综述概述了基于海马体的概括在两个研究方向——情景推理和分类——并讨论了可能支持这种概括的四种候选机制和代表性方案的证据。我们强调了海马体为泛化决策贡献特定记忆的证据，但也形成了整合跨经验信息的泛化表征。目前，关于这种广义表示如何形成并与特定记忆相关的多种观点是合理的。使用泛化和特异性的行为和神经指标的未来研究可能有助于解决候选泛化机制之间的问题，有可能不止一种基于海马体的泛化观点可能是有效的。重要的是，所有观点都强调海马体在超越记忆过去的认知中的更广泛作用。有可能不止一种基于海马体的泛化观点可能是有效的。重要的是，所有观点都强调海马体在超越记忆过去的认知中的更广泛作用。有可能不止一种基于海马体的泛化观点可能是有效的。重要的是，所有观点都强调海马体在超越记忆过去的认知中的更广泛作用。