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Updated: May 20, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion
Published on: May 4, 2011
Authors’ response: what are emotions and how are they created in the brain?
Kristen A Lindquist1, Tor D Wager, Eliza Bliss-Moreau
1Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School/ Massachusetts General Hospital/ Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA. lindqukr@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu
Abstract:
In our response, we clarify important theoretical differences between basic emotion and psychological construction approaches. We evaluate the empirical status of the basic emotion approach, addressing whether it requires brain localization, whether localization can be observed with better analytic tools, and whether evidence for basic emotions exists in other types of measures. We then revisit the issue of whether the key hypotheses of psychological construction are supported by our meta-analytic findings. We close by elaborating on commentator suggestions for future research.
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