Question

A researcher is interested in fear and explicit memory. He recruits a sample of undergraduate students, divides them into three groups, and shows each group of participants a different video. Group A watches a neutral video that reliably induces boredom, group B watches a video that reliably induces mild fear, and group C watches a video that reliably induces overwhelming fear. The participants are tested a week later to determine how much of the video they are able to remember. Given the design of the study and what you know about emotion and memory, which group(s) probably remembers the most about the video ?

• A. Group B
• B. Groups A and C
• C. Group A
• D. Group C

Answer 1

Answer:

A. Group B

• Explicit memory is a type of long term memory that focuses on recalling previous experiences and information.
• The relationship between long term memory and fear follows a Yerkes-Dodson curve.
• This means that extreme emotional responses usually impact memory negatively.
• Boredom is usually associated with inattention, which also impacts memory negatively.
• Moderate emotions, like mild fear, are associated with optimal memory recall. Group B probably remembered the most from the video.