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Saq Emotion and Memory

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Boshra Nouri
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77 views2 pages

Saq Emotion and Memory

Uploaded by

Boshra Nouri
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The following response addresses the

question: Explain one theory of how


emotion may affect one cognitive
process.

What is this question asking for?

• Identity one cognitive process: memory, language, attention, problem-solving, thinking or


decision-making.
• One theory should be clearly described which shows how emotion may affect the cognitive
process.
• The effect on the cognitive process should be clearly explained.

One theory about how emotion may affect one cognitive process is Flashbulb Memory Theory by Comment [1]: A theory is clearly identified.

Brown & Kulik (1977). Brown & Kulik believed that strong emotional experiences led to memories
that are detailed, accurate, vivid, and resistant to forgetting. They argued that there were two key
components to the creation of a flashbulb memory. First, there is the element of surprise. The
researchers proposed the "special mechanism" hypothesis that suggested that there were biological
factors that led to the creation of these memories, although they did not know what those
mechanisms were. Secondly, the researchers argued that the event had to have "personal meaning"
for the person. If there was the combination of a strong emotional response based on surprise and
personal meaning, then the result is a flashbulb memory. Comment [2]: The theory is clearly outlined.

Researchers now know that when adrenaline reaches the brain it activates the amygdala in the
limbic system to send a message that something important or dangerous has happened. The
amygdala plays a key role in creating emotional memories.

McGaugh & Cahill (1995) did an experiment to study the role of emotional arousal on memory. The Comment [3]: A study is used that supports the
theory.
participants were divided into two groups. Each group saw 12 slides and heard a different story. In
the first condition, the participant heard a boring story about a woman and her son who paid a visit
to the son’s father in a hospital where they watched the staff in a disaster preparation drill. In the
second condition the participant heard a story where the boy was involved in a car accident where
his feet were severed. He was quickly brought to the hospital where the surgeons reattached the
injured limps. Then he stayed in the hospital for a few weeks and then went home with his mother.

© John Crane, InThinking


http://www.thinkib.net/psychology/ 1
A third group heard the same story as the second group, but they were given beta-blockers. Beta-
blockers block the receptor sites for adrenaline in the amygdala. Two weeks later the participants
were asked to come back and have their memory tested. Comment [4]: The aim and procedure of the
study are clearly outlined.

The researchers found that the participants who had heard the more emotional story had a better
recall of specific details of the story. They could also recall more details from the slides. However, if
they heard the emotional story and had received beta-blockers, they had no better recall than the
first group that did not hear the emotional story. This may be evidence to support Brown & Kulik’s Comment [5]: The results are clearly stated.

original theory of the "special mechanism". It appears that emotion may have an effect on the
accuracy of one’s memories. Comment [6]: Link back to the theory.

© John Crane, InThinking


http://www.thinkib.net/psychology/ 2

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