title: Positive and negative emotional contexts unevenly predict episodic memory.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the recognition of faces with neutral expressions differs when they are encoded under different emotional contexts (positive, negative or non-emotional). The effects of the emotional valence context on the subsequent memory effect (SME) and the autonomic responses were also examined. Twenty-eight participants performed a betting-game task in which the faces of their virtual opponents were presented in each trial. The probability of winning or losing was manipulated to generate positive or negative contexts, respectively. Additionally, the participants performed the same task without betting as a non-emotional condition. After the encoding phase, an old/new paradigm was performed for the faces of the virtual opponents. The recognition was superior for the faces encoded in the positive contexts than for the faces encoded in the non-emotional contexts. The skin conductance response amplitude was equivalent for both of the emotional contexts. The N170 and P300 components at occipital sites and the frontal slow wave manifested SMEs that were modulated by positive contexts; neither negative nor non-emotional contexts influenced these effects. The behavioral and neurophysiological data demonstrated that positive contexts are stronger predictors of episodic memory than negative or non-emotional contexts.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of NeuroCognition, Faculty of Psychology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Joyce Graciela
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Martínez-Galindo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of NeuroCognition, Faculty of Psychology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico. Electronic address: selene@unam.mx.
authors.forename: Selene
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cansino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004585:Electrooculography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300; D000066499:Facial Recognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D005715:Gambling; D005717:Games, Experimental; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time
keywords: Emotional valence; Episodic memory; Event-related potentials; Face recognition; Subsequent memory effects