Examination of Emotion-modulated Processing using Eye Movement Monitoring and Magnetoencephalography

Research shows that emotional items are associated with enhanced processing and memory. However, emotional memories are composed of not only memory for the specific emotion-eliciting item, but also other items associated with it, as well as memory for how these items are related. The current thesis utilized verbal report, eye movement monitoring and magnetoencephalography in order to examine how emotions may influence online processing and memory for associated information. It was found that while emotions influenced attention to both the emotion-eliciting item and associated information during the encoding stage, this was not related to subsequent memory performance as indexed by verbal report. It was also found that while emotions impaired detailed memory for associated information, it did not affect the ease or speed at which those memories could be accessed. In using MEG, it was found that emotions may modulate not only how participants’ view associated information, but it may also modulate the type of representation formed. Together, findings from the current work suggests that: (1) emotions influence online processing and memory for associated information; (2) emotions modulate memory for associated information via routes other than overt attention; (3) encoding and retrieval may occur in stages; and (4) memory exerts early influences on processing. The current work shows that emotions modulate online processing of associated neutral information in a top-down manner, independent of differences in its physical properties. Work from this thesis encourages a reconceptualization of emotion, memory and perception and how they relate to one and another. Rather than viewing them as independent modular processes, they may, in fact, be more widely distributed in the brain and interact more closely than previously described. This may be evolutionarily adaptive allowing us to quickly and efficiently form memories for emotional events/scenes that can later guide perception and behaviour.Ph