The Effect of Arousal on Facial Recognition
Abstract
The present study investigated the effects of arousal on facial recognition. It was hypothesized that recognition accuracy would decrease as self-reported arousal increased. Arousal was manipulated through the presence/absence of electrical shock. Because self-reports of arousal differed significantly across the two conditions for female subjects but not for males, only the data from females were used. As predicted, recognition accuracy was lower in the high arousal condition than in the moderate arousal condition. Some evidence of an own-sex bias was found but no own-race bias was observed. About one-third of all subjects showed a significant positive relationship between recognition accuracy and degree of confidence in their judgments. Averaged across subjects, the relationship between confidence and accuracy was small but statistically significant. Implications of these findings for highly-arousing crime situations are discussed.
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Much of the eyewitness research uses application-focused or scenario-relevant stressors, such as violent pictures/videos, electric shocks, fake fire alarms, threats of injection, and self-reports about stress or anxiety.
“In contrast to these validated stressors, much of the eyewitness research uses application-focused or scenario-relevant stressors. In the laboratory, these include violent, arousing pictures or videos (Cli ff ord & Hollin, 1981; Cutler et al., 1987; Kramer et al., 1990; Pezdek et al., 2020), electric shocks (Brigham et al., 1983; Tooley et al., 1987), fake fi re alarms (Peters, 1997), threats”
From The effects of acute stress on eyewitness memory: An integrative review for eyewitness researchers (2021) · cites this paper as Brigham et al., 1983
Cites
The effect of emotion on cue utilization and the organization of behavior
Easterbrook, J. A. (1959) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/h0047707 · Cited by 3,090 · see citing works
Self-control and predictability: Their effects on reactions to aversive stimulation.
Staub, E., Tursky, B., & Schwartz, G. E. (1971) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/h0030851 · Cited by 244 · see citing works
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A meta-analytic review of the effects of high stress on eyewitness memory
Deffenbacher, K. A., Bornstein, B. H., Penrod, S. D., & McGorty, E. K. (2004) · Law and Human Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10979-004-0565-x · Cited by 489 · see citing works
Stress, stress-induced cortisol responses, and eyewitness identification performance
Sauerland, M., Raymaekers, L. H. C., Otgaar, H., Memon, A., Waltjen, T. T., Nivo, M., Slegers, C., Broers, N. J., & Smeets, T. (2016) · Behavioral Sciences & the Law · doi:10.1002/bsl.2249 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
The effects of acute stress on eyewitness memory: An integrative review for eyewitness researchers
Marr, C., Sauerland, M., Otgaar, H., Quaedflieg, C. W. E. M., & Hope, L. (2021) · Memory · doi:10.1080/09658211.2021.1955935 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
“…violent, arousing pictures or videos (Clifford & Hollin, 1981; Cutler et al., 1987; Kramer et al., 1990; Pezdek et al., 2020), electric shocks (Brigham et al., 1983; Tooley et al., 1987), fake fire alarms (Peters, 1997), threats of injection (e.g., Maass & Kohnken, 1989; Peters, 1988), and…”
Background
- Authors
- Brigham, J. C., Maass, A., Martinez, D., & Whittenberger, G.
- Affiliations
- Florida State University (US)
- Venue
- Basic and Applied Social Psychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 1983-09
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 279-293
- ISSN
- 0197-3533 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-4834
- OpenAlex
- W2070320196
- Cited by
- 50
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Basic and Applied Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Deception detection and forensic psychology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Keywords
- arousal, face recognition (cognition), self-reported arousal, electric shock, own-race bias, confidence-accuracy relationship, gender differences, criminal investigation, eyewitness identification
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