Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

3-2015

Abstract

Increasing evidence that positive affect enhances associative processing has lent weight to the idea that positive affect increases false memory for information that is thematically interrelated. Using the Deese–Roediger–McDermott paradigm, we examined whether mild positive affect facilitates monitoring processes in modulating false memory for associate words. When participants in the warned condition – in contrast to those in the unwarned condition – were overtly warned about possible false recognition of the critical lure, we found that positive affect, compared to neutral affect, significantly enhanced monitoring through a warning and reduced false recognition. Signal detection analyses suggest that when a warning is provided, positive affect enhances sensitivity to discriminate list items from critical lures, but it does not shift the overall decision criterion. Taken together, we conclude that positive affect facilitates the effect of a warning in reducing false memories for semantic associates.

Keywords

positive affect, false memories, DRM paradigm, monitoring processing

Discipline

Social Psychology

Research Areas

Psychology

Publication

Journal of Positive Psychology

Volume

10

Issue

3

First Page

196

Last Page

206

ISSN

1743-9760

Identifier

10.1080/17439760.2014.950177

Publisher

Taylor and Francis

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2014.950177

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