Cited by 375Memory Processes and InfluencesMemory and Neural MechanismsSleep and Wakefulness Research

How arousal modulates memory: disentangling the effects of attention and retention

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Sharot, Tali, Phelps, Elizabeth A.·2004·Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience

Abstract

Emotion may influence memory both by altering attention and perception during encoding and by affecting memory retention. To date, studies have focused on the enhancement of memory consolidation by arousal. However, they have failed to rule out a role for attention. To specifically link memory enhancement of arousing material to modulation of memory retention, we examined recognition of neutral and arousing words at two time points and under conditions that manipulate attention during encoding. Participants were briefly presented with an arousing or neutral word at the periphery, while fixating on a central word. Recognition of peripheral words was assessed either immediately or after 24 h. Whereas recognition of neutral words became worse over time, recognition of arousing words remained the same and was better than neutral word recognition at delay. The results indicate that arousal supports slower forgetting even when the difference in attentional resources allocated to stimuli is minimized.

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  1. Hochberg, J. (1978). Perception (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
  2. In J. K. O'Regan & A. Levy-Schoen (Eds.), Eye movements: From phys- iology to cognition (pp. 37-45). New York: Elsevier, North-Holland.

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Authors
Sharot, T., & Phelps, E. A.
Affiliations
New York University (US)
Corresponding author
Phelps, Elizabeth A.
Venue
Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience
Published
2004-09
Volume
4
Issue
3
Pages
294-306
ISSN
  • 1530-7026 (ISSN-L)
  • 1531-135X
OpenAlex
W2103782422
Cited by
375
References
77
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 28 · 2012: 25
FWCI
3.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cognitive Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH62104, R01MH062104)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
Keywords
arousal, emotional memory, memory consolidation, attentional modulation, memory retention, forgetting, recognition memory, word recognition, attentional capture, emotional words
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Arousal, Attention, Female, Field Dependence-Independence, Fixation, Ocular, Humans, Male, Perceptual Masking, Photic Stimulation, Mental Recall, Retention, Psychology, Verbal Learning, Visual Perception, Recognition, Psychology

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