City Research Online

Abstract

Research has shown that false memory production is enhanced for material that is emotionally congruent with the mood of the participant at the time of encoding. So far this research has only examined the influence of generic negative affective mood states and generic negative stimuli on false memory production. In addition, much of the research is limited as it focuses on valence and arousal dimensions, and fails to take into account the more comprehensive nature of emotions. The current study demonstrates that this effect goes beyond general negative or positive moods and acts at a more discrete emotional level. Participants underwent a standard emotion induction procedure before listening to negative emotional or neutral associative word lists. The emotions induced, negative word lists and associated non-presented critical lures, were related to either fear or anger, two negative valence emotions that are also both high in arousal. Results showed that when valence and arousal are controlled for, false memories are more likely to be produced for discrete emotionally congruent compared to incongruent materials. These results support spreading activation theories of false remembering and add to our understanding of the adaptive nature of false memory production.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Copyright APA, 2015. This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the APA journal. It is not the copy of record.
Publisher Keywords:	false memory; mood congruence; emotion; arousal; valence
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Departments:	School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Psychology
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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