Enhancing Effects of Emotion on Memory Performance: A Neurobehavioral Examination of Emotional Arousal

RM 215

As adults, we remember emotional experiences better than neutral experiences (“enhancing effect” of emotion on memory, LaBar & Cabeza, 2006). We examine the role of emotional arousal at the time of encoding in explaining the enhancing effect on memory. Adult participants complete two laboratory sessions, separated by a 5-10 day delay. At Session 1, participants view 90 negative, positive, and neutral scenes (30 in each condition), and create a story for each (encoding task). For negative and positive scenes, participants think of a story that either decreases or maintains their emotional arousal (15 trials of each type); neutral scenes receive neutral stories (30 trials). After the delay, participants return to the lab to participate in a recognition memory task: They view the 90 trials from their first session, mixed with 90 new trials (30 in each emotion condition), and indicate with a button press if the scene is old or new (recognition task). During the encoding and recognition tasks, we record eventrelated potentials (ERPs) as a measure of neural activity for emotion and memory processes. After recognition, participants provide ratings of emotional valence and arousal for the 90 scenes viewed at encoding. Data collection is ongoing. We will examine ERP and ratings responses to assess participants’ emotional experience to the stimuli, and determine the effectiveness of the story-manipulation in reducing emotion. Then, ERP and button-press responses will be used to assess memory for the stimuli, and how it may differ between emotion and manipulation conditions.