The Influence of The Influence of Emotion on Emotion on Memory for Memory for Temporal Temporal

InformationInformationArnaud D’Argembeau, Martial Arnaud D’Argembeau, Martial

Van der LindenVan der LindenUniversity of GenevaUniversity of Geneva

EmotionEmotion December 2005, Vol. 5, No. 4, p 503- December 2005, Vol. 5, No. 4, p 503-507507

Andrea Sweazy

Why Do This Study?Why Do This Study?• It has been found that contextual It has been found that contextual

information is better remembered for information is better remembered for emotional itemsemotional items

• To determine if the emotional To determine if the emotional importance of an item affects one’s importance of an item affects one’s ability to pinpoint the time at which ability to pinpoint the time at which the item was originally encounteredthe item was originally encountered

HypothesisHypothesis• Individuals will be able to recall the Individuals will be able to recall the

time that items were encountered time that items were encountered with great emotional salience with great emotional salience (positive and negative items) more (positive and negative items) more accurately and more often than accurately and more often than items with little emotional salience items with little emotional salience (neutral items)(neutral items)

Theoretical Theoretical ConstructsConstructs

• Memory for Temporal InformationMemory for Temporal Information– Operational Definition:Operational Definition:

• One’s ability to recall the time of past events or the One’s ability to recall the time of past events or the time at which an item was encountered time at which an item was encountered

• Measured by correcting for the change in the Measured by correcting for the change in the probability of getting a specific score by chance as a probability of getting a specific score by chance as a function of the number of correct recognitions function of the number of correct recognitions (expressed as a z-score)(expressed as a z-score)

• Item MemoryItem Memory– Operational Definition:Operational Definition:

• One’s ability to recall past events or items One’s ability to recall past events or items • Scored by subtracting the number of false recognitions Scored by subtracting the number of false recognitions

from the number of correct recognitionsfrom the number of correct recognitions

ParticipantsParticipants• 48 students from the University of 48 students from the University of

Geneva in SwitzerlandGeneva in Switzerland– 24 men and 24 women24 men and 24 women

•Mean age of 23.7 yearsMean age of 23.7 years

Independent Independent VariablesVariables

• PicturesPictures– Measured qualitatively with three levels Measured qualitatively with three levels

• Positive (42)Positive (42)• Negative (42)Negative (42)• Neutral (42)Neutral (42)

– Taken from the International Affective Picture Taken from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS)System (IAPS)• Selected based on normative ratings of arousal and Selected based on normative ratings of arousal and

valencevalence

• SexSex– Measured qualitatively with two levels Measured qualitatively with two levels

• MaleMale• FemaleFemale

Dependent VariableDependent Variable• MemoryMemory

– Measured quantitatively with two levels Measured quantitatively with two levels •Memory for temporal informationMemory for temporal information

• Item memoryItem memory

ProcedureProcedure• Participants were presented with three lists of Participants were presented with three lists of

positive, negative, and neutral picturespositive, negative, and neutral pictures

• After each list was presented, participants After each list was presented, participants performed some arithmetic operations for 3 performed some arithmetic operations for 3 minutes (1 minute after the final list)minutes (1 minute after the final list)

• After the final list was presented, participants had After the final list was presented, participants had to indicate if the picture had been presented to indicate if the picture had been presented during the study. If they claimed they during the study. If they claimed they remembered it, they then had to indicate whether remembered it, they then had to indicate whether it had been presented in the first, second, or third it had been presented in the first, second, or third list.list.

Results: Item Results: Item MemoryMemory

• A 2 X 2 ANOVA was done measuring sex A 2 X 2 ANOVA was done measuring sex and picture typeand picture type– Significant main effect of picture typeSignificant main effect of picture type

۰ F=20.6 with p<.05 F=20.6 with p<.05

– Significant main effect of sex with item Significant main effect of sex with item memory being better for women than menmemory being better for women than men۰ F=4.44 with p=.04F=4.44 with p=.04

– Gender X Picture Type interaction was not Gender X Picture Type interaction was not significantsignificant۰ F=.72 with p=.49F=.72 with p=.49

Results of t-TestsResults of t-Tests

  t p-value

Item Memory for Negative Pictures vs. Positive Pictures 4.22 <.01

Positive Pictures vs. Neutral Pictures 2.92 0.01

Negative Pictures vs. Neutral Pictures 5.68 <.01

Results: Memory for Results: Memory for Temporal Temporal

InformationInformation• A 2 X 2 ANOVA was done measuring sex A 2 X 2 ANOVA was done measuring sex and picture typeand picture type– Significant main effect of picture typeSignificant main effect of picture type

٭ F=7.8 with p<.01F=7.8 with p<.01

– Main effect of sex approached statistical Main effect of sex approached statistical significancesignificance٭ F=3.44 with p=.07F=3.44 with p=.07

– Gender X Picture Type interaction was not Gender X Picture Type interaction was not significantsignificant٭ F=.48 with p=.62F=.48 with p=.62

Results of t-TestsResults of t-Tests

  t p-value

Difference Between Negative and Positive Pictures 2.61 0.01

Difference Between Negative and Neutral Pictures 3.98 <.01

Difference Between Positive and Neutral Pictures 1.12 0.27

DiscussionDiscussion٭ The study was done wellThe study was done well

٭ The hypothesis was somewhat correct, but The hypothesis was somewhat correct, but only negative emotion was shown to only negative emotion was shown to enhance memory for temporal informationenhance memory for temporal information– Why?Why?

۰ Could occur partly because a certain negative picture Could occur partly because a certain negative picture could have caused participants to remember a could have caused participants to remember a previous negative picture, developing some kind of an previous negative picture, developing some kind of an order for the picturesorder for the pictures

۰ Also could be that negative pictures may be more Also could be that negative pictures may be more relevant to the goals or concerns of the participantsrelevant to the goals or concerns of the participants

Discussion: Changes I Discussion: Changes I Would MakeWould Make◊ I would look at masculinity and femininity of I would look at masculinity and femininity of

participants because this may have accounted for participants because this may have accounted for the sex differences found in this studythe sex differences found in this study

◊ I would test participants outside of Switzerland I would test participants outside of Switzerland and outside of a University settingand outside of a University setting

◊ It would also be interesting to look at older adults It would also be interesting to look at older adults as well to see if the same results are obtained as well to see if the same results are obtained regarding memory for temporal informationregarding memory for temporal information

Comments/Comments/Questions?Questions?