Post-event spontaneous intrusive recollections and strength of memory for emotional events in men and women
Open accessAbstract
Spontaneous intrusive recollections (SIRs) follow traumatic events in clinical and non-clinical populations. To determine whether any relationship exists between SIRs and enhanced memory for emotional events, participants viewed emotional or neutral films, had their memory for the films tested two days later, and estimated the number of SIRs they experienced for each film. SIR frequency related positively to memory strength, an effect more pronounced in the emotional condition. These findings represent the first demonstration of a relationship between SIRs occurring after an emotional experience and subsequent memory strength for that experience. The results are consistent with the possibility that emotional arousal leads both to elevated SIR frequency and better memory, and that the covert rehearsal associated with SIRs enhances memory for emotional relative to neutral stimuli. Additional evidence of menstrual cycle influences on SIR incidence in female participants appears to merit consideration in future work.
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Two studies by the same research group reported that more intrusions of brief emotional film clips were significantly associated with greater voluntary recall of details.
“As already noted, two of the studies in Table 3 carried out by the same research group reported that more intrusions of brief emotional film clips were significantly associated with greater voluntary recall of details (Ferree & Cahill, 2009; Ferree, et al., 2011).”
From Episodic memory, perceptual memory, and their interaction: Foundations for a theory of posttraumatic stress disorder. (2014) · cites this paper as Ferree & Cahill, 2009
Two studies reported significant positive correlations between involuntary images and voluntary recall/recognition.
“with one study reporting a significant negative correlation (Michael & Ehlers, 2007, Expt. 2) and two reporting significant positive correlations (Ferree & Cahill, 2009; Ferree, Kamat, & Cahill, 2011).”
From Episodic memory, perceptual memory, and their interaction: Foundations for a theory of posttraumatic stress disorder. (2014) · cites this paper as Ferree & Cahill, 2009
In one study, free recall of emotional and neutral film clips was positively correlated with intrusive memories after 48 hours (r = .57).
“r = .57”
From Episodic memory, perceptual memory, and their interaction: Foundations for a theory of posttraumatic stress disorder. (2014) · cites this paper as Ferree & Cahill (2009)
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- Authors
- Ferree, N. K., & Cahill, L.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Irvine (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ferree, Nikole K.
- Venue
- Consciousness and Cognition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-03
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 126-134
- ISSN
- 1053-8100 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2691747
- OpenAlex
- W2078229282
- Cited by
- 94
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 3.23
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Consciousness and Cognition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH057508, R01 MH57808)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Keywords
- emotional memory, memory strength, emotional arousal, covert rehearsal, sex differences, menstrual cycle, traumatic events, film viewing
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Affect, Female, Humans, Life Change Events, Male, Memory, Menstrual Cycle, Mental Recall, Sex Factors, Time Factors, Young Adult
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