Explain one study of the influence of emotion on one cognitive process. Flashcards
One influence of emotion on one cognitive process is…
the influence of emotion on memory, more specifically, flashbulb memories.
Flashbulb memories
A highly detailed, exceptionally vivid “snapshot” of the moment when a surprising and emotionally arousing event happened.
Biological support for flashbulb memory
The amygdala, a small structure in the temporal lobe and appears to be critical in the brain’s emotional circuit - is believed to play a critical role.
When we feel emotionally aroused, we get a rush of adrenaline which triggers the amygdala and makes us form flashbulb memories. From an evolutionary standpoint, it makes sense because it seems that the brain’s ability to remember fear has a played an important role in our survival.
Sharot et al 2007
Aim: To determine the potential role of biological factors on flashbulb memories.
Research method: Quasi
Participants: 24 participants who were in NYC on the day of 9/11 attacks
Procedure:
Participants were put into an fMRI. While connected, they would be shown word cues on a screen which would be shown alongside the word “September” or “Summer’ to get participants to link the word cue to the attacks or summer holidays. After the scanning, they were asked to rate the vividness, emotional arousal, and confidence in accuracy of their memories.
Findings:
According to the fMRI, the activation of the amygdala of participants closer to the attack was significantly higher when recalling memories of the attacks relative to their summer holiday memories. Additionally, those who were further away had equal levels of amygdala activation in both types of memories. This showed the researchers that close personal experience is important in engaging the neural mechanisms to form flashbulb memories.
