Spachtholz, Philipp and Kuhbandner, Christof and Pekrun, Reinhard (2014) Negative Affect Improves the Quality of Memories: Trading Capacity for Precision in Sensory and Working Memory. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY-GENERAL, 143 (4). pp. 1450-1456. ISSN 0096-3445, 1939-2222
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Research has shown that negative affect reduces working memory capacity. Commonly, this effect has been attributed to an allocation of resources to task-irrelevant thoughts, suggesting that negative affect has detrimental consequences for working memory performance. However, rather than simply being a detrimental effect, the affect-induced capacity reduction may reflect a trading of capacity for precision of stored representations. To test this hypothesis, we induced neutral or negative affect and concurrently measured the number and precision of representations stored in sensory and working memory. Compared with neutral affect, negative affect reduced the capacity of both sensory and working memory. However, in both memory systems, this decrease in capacity was accompanied by an increase in precision. These findings demonstrate that observers unintentionally trade capacity for precision as a function of affective state and indicate that negative affect can be beneficial for the quality of memories.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | ICONIC MEMORY; MOOD; REPRESENTATIONS; ACHIEVEMENT; INFORMATION; RESOURCES; EMOTIONS; STORAGE; SEARCH; COLOR; emotions; short-term memory; iconic memory; emotional states; stimulus salience |
| Subjects: | 100 Philosophy & psychology > 150 Psychology |
| Divisions: | Psychology and Pedagogy > Institut für Psychologie |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 04 Sep 2019 13:24 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Sep 2019 13:24 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/9817 |
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