Positive affect amplifies integration within episodic memories in the laboratory and the real world

Learning & Memory, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 32(1), P. a053971 - a053971

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Emotional events hold a privileged place in our memories, differing accuracy and structure from memories for neutral experiences. Although much work has focused on the pronounced differences memory negative experiences, there is growing evidence that positive may lead to more holistic, or integrated, memories. However, it unclear whether these affect-driven changes structure, which have been found highly controlled laboratory environments, extend real-world episodic We ran experiments assessed experiences created (Experiment 1) and, using smartphones, everyday 2). complement design innovations with novel analysis approach model integration both settings. Consistent past findings, emotional were subjectively remembered strongly. These studies also revealed features of indeed integrated within memory, real world. effects specific participants’ responses during encoding rather than general states at time retrieval, reflected increase between multiple features. Together, results demonstrate robust events, introduce measure integration, highlight importance assessing impact emotion beyond laboratory.

Language: Английский

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Distinct cortisol effects on item and associative memory across memory phases

Psychoneuroendocrinology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 176, P. 107422 - 107422

Published: March 14, 2025

Language: Английский

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Event segmentation promotes the reorganization of emotional memory

Published: May 16, 2024

Event boundaries help structure the content of episodic memories by segmenting continuous experiences into discrete events. may also serve to preserve meaningful information within an event, thereby actively separating important from interfering representations imposed past and future Here, we tested hypothesis that event organize emotional memory based on changing dynamics as events unfold. We developed a novel threat-reversal learning task whereby participants encoded trial-unique exemplars two semantic categories across three phases: preconditioning, fear-acquisition, reversal. Shock contingencies were established for one category during acquisition (CS+) then switched other reversal (CS-). Importantly, was either separated perceptible boundary (experiment 1) or occurred immediately after acquisition, with no context shift 2). In surprise recognition test next day, performance tracked contingences encoding in experiment 1, such selectively recognized more threat-associated CS+ before (retroactive) but this pattern reversed toward CS- By contrast, encoding—without between conditioning reversal—exhibited undifferentiated both following Further analyses highlight nuanced effects reversing conditioned fear, updating mnemonic generalization, biasing temporal source memory. These findings suggest provide anchor points distinctly information, adaptively structuring our experiences.

Language: Английский

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Drawbacks to strengthening neural salience encoding: a link between cortisol and risky drinking

Published: Feb. 8, 2024

Emotionally salient experiences are encoded and remembered more strongly, an effect that can be amplified by hormones like cortisol. Such memories in turn profoundly influence later behavior. However, little is known about the link between salience encoding subsequent This pathway may particularly important for risky alcohol drinking, which has been linked to sensitized responses, memory, To test this possibility, we integrated pharmacology using a double-blind cross-over design with fMRI, cognitive, motivation assays across range of healthy male female social drinkers. As anticipated, cortisol enhanced memory alcohol-related events; critically, bias was associated motivation. Increased pronounced susceptible drinkers, whom brain responses alcohol. These predicted both biases Together, these findings reveal maladaptive consequences encoding.

Language: Английский

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How sleep and fatigue shape statements in evidence: A psycho-legal perspective

Frontiers in Cognition, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 3

Published: June 25, 2024

Testimonial evidence in the form of verbal accounts by victims, witnesses, and suspects plays a critical role investigations judicial proceedings, often serving as only during trial. The psychological nature testimonies causes this to be inherently limited, motivating psycho-legal scholars identify both risk factors solutions necessary improve its reliability. To end, current perspective argues that sleep-related fatigue is formative factor influences fidelity statements confessions provided legal interactions. Specifically, it considers prevalence sleep disruption among subjects interacting with criminal justice system, likely impact on memory victims deprivation confessions. In view doctrines relevant evidentiary constitutional considerations, analysis meant motivate future work at intersection processes.

Language: Английский

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Drawbacks to strengthening neural salience encoding: a link between cortisol and risky drinking

Journal of Neuroscience, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 44(40), P. e1027242024 - e1027242024

Published: Aug. 15, 2024

Emotionally salient experiences are encoded and remembered more strongly, an effect that can be amplified by hormones like cortisol. Such memories in turn profoundly influence later behavior. However, little is known about the link between salience encoding subsequent This pathway may particularly important for risky alcohol drinking, which has been linked to sensitized responses, memory, To test this possibility, we integrated pharmacology using a double-blind cross-over design with fMRI, cognitive, motivation assays across range of healthy male female social drinkers. As anticipated, cortisol enhanced memory alcohol-related events; critically, bias was associated motivation. Increased pronounced susceptible drinkers, whom brain responses alcohol. These predicted both biases Together, these findings reveal maladaptive consequences encoding.

Language: Английский

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