canli et al

Question 1

AIM

Answer 1

• To find out if the Amygdala is sensitive to varying degrees of emotional intensity from external stimuli
• To find out wether emotional intensity enhances memory for the stimuli

Question 2

PROCEDURE

Answer 2

Participants were scanned with an fMRI scanner

• Participants viewed 96 overhead scenes/images displayed with an overhead projector and mirror (Order of scenes were randomized)
• Participants had to view the images for the entire time they were displayed
• Participants had to press 1 of 4 buttons with their right hand indicating emotional intensity felt on a scale of 0-3
• This was in conjunction with the fMRI scanner which measured blood-oxygen level-dependent contrast and areas of brain active
• Participants brought back 3 weeks after this for unexpected recognition test in the lab
• During this test, they viewed 96 previous scenes + another 48 foils (new scenes) which were selected to match previous scenes in arousal characteristics
• Participants were asked wether they had seen each scene before.
• If they answered yes, they had to say with what certainty they remembered the image (Remember for more certain, Know for less certain)

Question 3

SAMPLE

Answer 3

• 10 Right hand healthy female volunteers, to not allow liberalization to influence results.
• Females were chosen because it was thought women are more likely to report intense emotional experiences

Question 4

RESEARCH METHOD

Answer 4

• Lab experiment

- Repeated measures design

Question 5

CONCLUSION

Answer 5

• The more emotionally intense the stimulus, the better the memory it
• The less emotionally intense the stimulus, the worse the memory of it

Question 6

STRENGTHS

Answer 6

• Lab Experiment, meaning high control over external variables, improving validity
• Lab Experiment, collection of quantitative data hence the lack of bias/demand characteristics and high validity
• Use of randomization to reduce order effects, increasing validity

Question 7

WEAKNESSES

Answer 7

• Small sample size and also all right handed females, meaning it is gynocentric and has low generalizability
• Lab experiment so there is an unnatural environment and stimuli in this case, meaning there is low ecological validity

Question 8

ETHICAL ISSUES

Answer 8

• Potential physical harm from fMRI scan strong magnetic field
• intense pictures can be traunatizing

Question 9

ISSUES AND DEBATES

Answer 9

indivisual and explanational: strengths: it explains why different memories in a person’s lifetime maybe remembered with different intensity.

weaknesses: it fails to account for the fact that some memories may be remembered as strongly as others even if lesser in emotional impact.

nature vs nurture:
strengths: it explains the impact of natural human inheritance on human emotions.

weaknesses: it fails to account for the differences people might show in their emotional experiences as a result of the different environments in which they were brought up.

Question 10

APPLICATION IN REAL LIFE

Answer 10

Provides a base theory to understand the difficulties in emotional experiences - especially intense emotional experiences of people with amygdala damage

It has helped us understand better the emotional memory of negative experiences, which can be useful in therapy that attempts to help people with trauma to forget such experiences.