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Updated: Jun 6, 2026
15:57
Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion
Published on: May 4, 2011
Emotion enhanced retention of cognitive skill learning
Stephan Steidl1, Fathima Razik, Adam K Anderson
1Department of Psychology, University of Toronto,Toronto, ON, Canada.
Emotion (Washington, D.C.)
|November 10, 2010
Summary
Emotional arousal initially slowed cognitive skill learning but prevented forgetting over 1.5 months. This emotional enhancement of memory (EEM) for procedural skills was independent of declarative knowledge.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Emotional arousal is known to enhance declarative/episodic memory.
- Evidence for emotional enhancement of memory (EEM) in procedural skill-based memory is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate remote EEM for cognitive skill learning.
- To determine if emotional arousal during encoding affects long-term retention of procedural skills.
Main Methods:
- Used the weather prediction (WP) task to assess cognitive skill learning.
- Participants viewed emotionally arousing or neutral pictures during WP acquisition.
- Assessed memory retention after a 1.5-month delay.
Main Results:
- Emotional arousal retarded initial WP acquisition.
- Participants in the neutral condition showed significant forgetting over 1.5 months.
- Participants in the arousal condition exhibited no forgetting over the same period.
Conclusions:
- Emotional arousal during encoding significantly enhances long-term retention of cognitive skills.
- EEM for procedural learning is independent of declarative knowledge and context memory.
- Emotional arousal may enhance neural systems supporting procedural learning and its declarative context.
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