Emotional valence and arousal effects on memory and hemispheric asymmetries.
This study examined predictions based upon the right hemisphere (RH) model, the valence-arousal model, and a recently proposed integrated model (Killgore & Yurgelun-Todd, 2007) of emotion processing by testing immediate recall and recognition memory for positive, negative, and neutral verbal stimuli among 35 right-handed women. Building upon methodologies of previous studies, we found that words presented to the right visual field/left hemisphere (RVF/LH) were recalled and recognized more accurately than words presented to the left visual field/right hemisphere (LVF/RH), and we found significant valence by visual field interactions. Some findings were consistent with one of the models evaluated whereas others were consistent with none of the models evaluated. Our findings suggest that an integration of the RH and valence-arousal models may best account for the findings with regard to hemispheric lateralization of memory for emotional stimuli.
Mneimne
Malek
M
Department of Psychology, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439, United States. malek.mneimne@gmail.com
Powers
Alice S
AS
Walton
Kate E
KE
Kosson
David S
DS
Fonda
Samantha
S
Simonetti
Jessica
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult