The retrograde effects of negative emotion on memory for conceptually related events

A Registered Report

Datos Bibliográficos

ID7149968
AutoresChantelle M Cocquyt (0000-0001-9129-0944, University of British Columbia), Isabel S Wilson (0000-0002-1142-8622, University of British Columbia), Christopher R Madan (0000-0003-3228-6501, University of Nottingham), Daniela J Palombo (0000-0001-8082-3522, University of British Columbia, autor de correspondencia)
Año2025
Volumen39
Número4
Páginas723-739
Fecha de publicación2025-05-19
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaCognition & Emotion (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0269-9931 • E-ISSN: 1464-0600
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/02699931.2024.2397371
PMID39254338
OpenAlexW4402411291
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas2
Referencias citadas71

Emotional events are often remembered better than neutral ones; however, emotion can also spill over and affect our memory for neutral experiences that precede an emotional event. Theories suggest that emotion can retroactively enhance memory for preceding neutral events that are considered high-priority while impairing memory for events deemed low-priority. However, the impact of conceptual relationships (i.e., semantic connections) between preceding neutral information and emotional events on memory for the preceding information has received little attention. This study investigated the influence of conceptual relatedness on the retroactive effects of emotion on memory. Participants sequentially encoded pairs of images that were high or low in conceptual relatedness, each comprising a neutral object followed by either a negative or neutral image. Participants returned the next day for a recognition memory assessment. The results indicated an interactive effect of emotion and conceptual relatedness on memory: In a "discovery" sample, memory was poorer for images preceding conceptually unrelated negative (vs. neutral) images, while the opposite pattern was seen for conceptually related images. In a "replication" sample, these effects were partially replicated, with the former impairment effect statistically observed but not the latter augmentation effect. Hence, conceptual relatedness affects how negative emotion influences memory

Amnesia · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Negative emotion · Retrograde amnesia · Child and Animal Learning Development · Memory and Neural Mechanisms · Memory Processes and Influences · Psychology