Evaluation of Emotional Recognition Memory in the Scope of Consolidation and Encoding Processes

Abstract

Emotional and neutral stimuli may differ in recognition memory. Research focusing on consolidation and encoding processes has offered several explanations of this differentiation. In this study, two experiments were conducted to test how recognition memory differs from emotional and neutral stimuli in the light of these explanations. In Experiment 1, the effects of different retention intervals and an interference task were tested. Consolidation studies claim that both retention intervals and interference tasks provide memory advantages for emotional stimuli compared to neutral stimuli. In Experiment 2, the effects of presentation style (pure or mixed lists) and semantic relatedness were tested and were suggested as effective during the encoding process. Experiment 1 included 120 student participants and 60 students participated in Experiment 2. Participants’ recognition memory performance was measured using signal detection analysis. Data from Experiment 1 indicated that neither the retention interval nor the interference task had significant effects on emotional recognition memory. However, emotion had a significant effect because participants presented a more liberal response bias toward emotional than neutral words and demonstrated a poorer recognition of these words than the neutral ones. Experiment 2 indicated that neither the presentation style nor semantic relatedness had significant effects on emotional recognition memory. On the other hand, emotion had a significant effect consistent with the first experiment. The liberal response bias shift and poorer recognition accuracy of emotional compared to neutral words were replicated. As a result, these two experiments using signal detection analysis demonstrated that the variables expected to be effective during the consolidation and encoding processes did not affect emotional recognition memory. However, the finding that emotion causes poorer recognition accuracy and higher liberal response bias in both experiments suggests that the function of emotion in memory may be the provision of liberal response bias rather than accuracy.

Keywords

• Emotional memory
• consolidation
• encoding
• signal detection analysis

Duygusal Tanıma Belleğinin Sağlamlaşma ve Kodlama Aşamaları Temelinde İncelenmesi

Abstract

Duygusal ve nötr uyaranlar tanıma belleği bakımından farklılaşabilmektedir. Sağlamlaşma ve kodlama süreçlerine odaklanan çalışmalar söz konusu farklılaşmaya ilişkin çeşitli açıklamalar getirmiştir. Bu çalışmada, tanıma belleğinin duygusal ve nötr uyaranlar için ne şekilde farklılaştığını söz konusu açıklamalar doğrultusunda incelemek üzere iki ayrı deney yapılmıştır. Birinci deneyde zaman aralığının ve karıştırıcı görevin etkisi incelenmiştir; sağlamlaşma çalışmaları hem zaman aralığının hem de engelleme görevinin duygusal uyaranlara, nötr uyaranlara kıyasla bellek avantajı sağladığını göstermektedir. İkinci deneyde ise sunum şeklinin (tekli veya karışık) ve semantik ilişkiselliğin etkileri test edilmiştir; bu değişkenlerin kodlama aşamasında etkili olduğu öne sürülmektedir. Birinci deneye 120, ikinci deneye 60 kişi katılmış; katılımcıların tanıma belleği performansı sinyal tespit analizi ile değerlendirilmiştir. Birinci deney zaman aralığı ve karıştırıcı görevin duygusal tanıma belleği üzerinde anlamlı bir etkisinin olmadığını göstermiştir. Bununla birlikte duygunun anlamlı bir etkisi bulunmuş ve katılımcıların nötr kelimelere kıyasla duygusal kelimelere yönelik olarak liberal tepki yanlılığı gösterdiği, bu kelimeleri daha kötü tanıdıkları görülmüştür. İkinci deney ise semantik ilişkisellik ve liste türünün duygusal bellek üzerinde anlamlı bir etkisinin olmadığını göstermiştir. Öte yandan birinci deneyle tutarlı olarak duygunun anlamlı bir etkiye sahip olduğu bulunmuştur. Duygusal kelimelere yönelik olarak liberal tepki yanlılığı gösterildiği ve bu kelimelerin nötr olanlara kıyasla daha kötü tanındığı bulgusu yinelenmiştir. Sonuç olarak, sinyal tespit analizi ile değerlendirilen bu iki deneyde sağlamlaşma ve kodlama aşamasında etkili olması beklenen değişkenlerin tanıma belleğini etkilemediği gösterilmiştir. Bununla birlikte her iki deneyde de duygunun düşük tanıma doğruluğu ve yüksek liberal tepki yanlılığına neden olması, duygunun bellekteki işlevinin doğruluktan ziyade liberal tepki yanlılığı sağlamak olabileceğine işaret etmektedir

Keywords

• Duygusal bellek
• sağlamlaşma
• kodlama
• sinyal tespit analizi

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