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Title page for ETD etd-06302008-101522


Type of Document Thesis
Author Zimmerman, Carissa Ann
URN etd-06302008-101522
Title An Item-specific and Relational Processing Account of Emotional Memory Enhancement
Degree Master of Science
Department Psychology, Department of
Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title
Colleen Kelley Committee Chair
E. Ashby Plant Committee Member
Michael Kaschak Committee Member
Keywords
  • Recall
Date of Defense 2008-04-30
Availability unrestricted
Abstract
Two experiments tested the competing item-specific and semantic cohesion hypotheses of emotional memory enhancement. The item-specific hypothesis predicts that emotional words receive more item-specific and less relational processing than neutral words, whereas the semantic cohesion hypothesis posits more relational processing of emotional words. In both experiments, emotional words were better remembered than neutral words. However, Experiment 1 found no support for either hypothesis; emotional and neutral words did not differ in the amount of either item-specific or relational processing, as measured by item gains and losses across repeated tests. Experiment 2 found that the memory advantage of emotional over neutral words did not differ as a function of the type of orienting task in which participants engaged. Several methodological explanations for the absence of the hypothesized findings are discussed along with future directions for research.
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