The effect of emotion: How valence influences judgements of learning and memory for emotional word pairs

Yicun XIE

Research output: ThesisBachelor's Theses

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the accuracy of judgements of learning (JOLs) of emotional word pairs under the influence of valence. Words differing in valence were paired up with another word, which was either congruent (i.e., positive-positive, neutralneutral, negative-negative) or incongruent (i.e., positive-neutral, positive-negative, negative-neutral) with the first word in valence. Method: 68 participants were required to 1.) study all word pairs (within-subject design), 2.) rate the studied word pairs based on how likely they would remember the target words during the later cued recall test, and 3.) conduct a cued recall memory test given only a cued word for each pair. Results: The effect of valence on judgements of learning and recalls was different across congruent and incongruent word pairs. People’s JOLs were not well calibrated for valence congruent word pairs: Over-confidence about negative-negative word pairs and under-confidence about positive-positive and neutral-neutral word pairs. For valence incongruent word pairs, participants only under-estimated the positive-neutral word pairs and were accurate in positive-negative and negative-neutral word pairs. Conclusion: These results suggest that the accuracy of people’s assessments of their own memory for emotional word pairs will not only be influenced by valence, but also by how the emotional words are combined. All rights reserved.
Original languageEnglish
QualificationBachelor of Social Sciences (Honours)
Awarding Institution
  • The Education University of Hong Kong
Supervisors/Advisors
  • YEE, Ting Sum Lydia, Supervisor
Publication statusPublished - 2018

Keywords

  • Judgements of learning (JOLs)
  • Memory
  • Emotion
  • Valence
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Thesis (BSocSc(Psy))--The Education University of Hong Kong, 2018.

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