Effects Of Attention At Encoding And Retrieval On Short And Long-Term False Memories For Emotional Stimuli

The proposed study will examine the effects of attention at encoding and retrieval on short- and long-term false memory for emotional stimuli using the Desse–Roediger–McDermott (DRM, Roediger & McDermott, 1995) paradigm. DRM research has shown that there are differences in false memory for stimuli that are emotionally valenced and that emotional information is often better recalled than neutral information. Prior research has also shown different effects of attention on emotional stimuli and suggests that negatively valenced stimuli are processed differently than positive and neutral stimuli. In the present study, this phenomenon is further investigated across two experiments; attention is manipulated at encoding (Experiment 1) and at retrieval (Experiment 2). Attention will be manipulated with a concurrent number memory task. Both experiments will use the same emotionally valenced DRM word lists from Zhang et al. (2017): 4 positive, 4 negative, and 4 neutral, with immediate and delayed recognition tests. The results of this study will allow us to draw conclusions about the effects of attention at encoding and retrieval across the two experiments. The results are expected to provide additional support for previous findings on attention’s role in false memories for emotionally valenced stimuli, while adding to our knowledge by comparing the effects of attention on false memories at both short and long-term with a modified short-term procedure. The study will also us to draw conclusions about the differences in the processing of emotional compared to neutral stimuli.https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/urs2021psych/1017/thumbnail.jp