Emotional state and local versus global spatial memory.
The present work investigated the effects of participant emotional state on global versus local memory for map-based information. Participants were placed into one of four emotion induction groups, crossing high and low arousal with positive and negative valence, or a control group. They then studied a university campus map and completed two memory tests, free recall and spatial statement verification. Converging evidence from these two tasks demonstrated that arousal amplifies symbolic distance effects and leads to a globally-focused spatial mental representation, partially at the expense of local knowledge. These results were found for both positively- and negatively-valenced affective states. The present study is the first investigation of emotional effects on spatial memory, and has implications for theories of emotion and spatial cognition.
Brunyé
Tad T
TT
Tufts University, Department of Psychology, 490 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, USA. tbruny01@tufts.edu
Mahoney
Caroline R
CR
Augustyn
Jason S
JS
Taylor
Holly A
HA
D000293:Adolescent; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D004215:Distance Perception / Q000502:physiology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008377:Maps as Topic; D008404:Massachusetts; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013334:Students; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis