Recently in Stress / Arousal Category
Schooler, J.W., Eich, E. Memory for Emotional Events. Memory in Life, 379-388.
Summary by Kelli
organ, C. A., Hazlett, G., Doran, A., Garrett, S., Hoyt, G., Thomas, P. et al. (2004). Accuracy of eyewitness memory for persons encountered during exposure to highly intense stress. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 27, 265279.
Morgan et al. article provided one of the best experiments a researcher could do to study the effects of stress and arousal on memory. Morgan and his researchers were able to ethically use physical threats on their participants because it took place at a military survival camp.
Basically, the experiment required the participants to be interrogated at both a high and low stress condition. Then the participants were asked to view a photo array, a live lineup, and a sequential photo lineup. The participants were then asked to identify the interrogator out of the lineup. Results showed that overall eyewitness accuracy in subjects was better for low stress conditions than subjects in high stress conditions. Accuracy was also higher in the cued photos and when showed the sequential photo lineup.
Overall, this experiment showed that there were a large number of the participants that were unable to identify their interrogator, even after thirty minutes of looking at them. Of course there are other ideas for further research. Recent studies have shown that consolidation of memory may occur over a number of days after a stressful event, so it would be interesting if researchers can find more exact time variables. Also, before and after tests should be taken on the levels of stress and also facial recognition tests to see in fact if stress really did have an effect on their memory. Lastly is more research on how sleep and the amount of sleep effects the way memories are stored.
Summary by Kelli
Deffenbacher, K. A., Bornstein, B. H., Penrod. S. D, & McGorty, E. K. (2004). A meta-analytic review of the effects of high stress on eyewitness memory. Law and Human Behavior, 28, 687-706.
Summary by Kelli
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