Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

False Memories01:18

False Memories

652
False memories represent a cognitive distortion in which individuals recall events that did not happen, or remember them in an altered form. This phenomenon highlights the brain's constructive nature in processing and recalling memories, emphasizing that memory is not a perfect representation of past events but rather a dynamic reconstruction influenced by various factors.
One primary source of false memories is misattribution, where individuals incorrectly associate external information...
652
Eyewitness Memory01:22

Eyewitness Memory

606
Eyewitness memory refers to the recollection of events by someone who has directly witnessed them, often serving as critical evidence in legal settings. This type of memory is commonly used in criminal cases where a witness describes details like a suspect's appearance, clothing, or behavior during a crime. However, despite its perceived reliability, eyewitness memory is prone to significant errors.
One such error is memory distortion, which occurs because human memory does not function...
606
Traumatic Memory01:20

Traumatic Memory

703
Emotionally traumatic events often lead to memories that are exceptionally vivid and enduring, sometimes persisting with remarkable clarity throughout an individual's life. A classic example of this phenomenon is a person who survives a car accident. Even years later, they may recall every detail of the event with startling accuracy — the screeching of the tires, the jarring impact, and the acrid smell of burning rubber. Such vividness contrasts sharply with how an individual...
703
Repressed Memory01:16

Repressed Memory

620
Repressed memories are a psychological phenomenon where memories of traumatic events are unconsciously blocked from a person's awareness. This process occurs as a defense mechanism, protecting the mind from the emotional impact of distressing or painful experiences. For example, a person who has experienced childhood trauma may grow up with no conscious recollection of the event. In such cases, the memories are thought to be buried deep within the subconscious, inaccessible to the conscious...
620
Role of Amygdala in Memory01:16

Role of Amygdala in Memory

1.6K
The amygdala is a small, almond-shaped structure responsible for processing and storing memories, particularly those linked to emotions like fear and stress. It plays an essential role in the brain's response to emotionally significant events and often enhances memory formation by triggering stress hormone release. The amygdala is vital for encoding and retrieving memories associated with fear or stress, a process that is adaptive by helping organisms avoid dangerous situations.
One of the...
1.6K
Working Memory01:24

Working Memory

1.2K
Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this...
1.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Developmental Profile and Variability in Preschool-Age Children With Down Syndrome.

Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR·2026
Same author

Investigating the analytical robustness of the social and behavioural sciences.

Nature·2026
Same author

Sense of Time in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: ADHD and Developmental Dyscalculia from a Dimensional and Transdiagnostic Perspective.

Brain sciences·2026
Same author

How sure am I? How text genre and question type shape comprehension calibration in primary and secondary school students.

Frontiers in psychology·2026
Same author

Time processing skills in individuals with math impairment and Developmental Dyscalculia.

Research in developmental disabilities·2025
Same author

Sleep and script-based memory distortions.

Neuropsychologia·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 4, 2026

The Deese-Roediger-McDermott DRM Task: A Simple Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate False Memories in the Laboratory
07:26

The Deese-Roediger-McDermott DRM Task: A Simple Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate False Memories in the Laboratory

Published on: January 31, 2017

40.7K

Working memory affects false memory production for emotional events.

Chiara Mirandola1, Enrico Toffalini1, Alfonso Ciriello1

  • 1a Department of General Psychology , University of Padova , Padova , Italy.

Cognition & Emotion
|August 29, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Working memory (WM) capacity influences false memories. High WM protects against emotional memory distortions, while reduced WM increases false memories, especially for negative events.

Keywords:
Working memoryemotional contentfalse memories

More Related Videos

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion
15:57

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion

Published on: May 4, 2011

17.3K
Brain Imaging Investigation of the Impairing Effect of Emotion on Cognition
16:08

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Impairing Effect of Emotion on Cognition

Published on: February 1, 2012

17.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 4, 2026

The Deese-Roediger-McDermott DRM Task: A Simple Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate False Memories in the Laboratory
07:26

The Deese-Roediger-McDermott DRM Task: A Simple Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate False Memories in the Laboratory

Published on: January 31, 2017

40.7K
Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion
15:57

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion

Published on: May 4, 2011

17.3K
Brain Imaging Investigation of the Impairing Effect of Emotion on Cognition
16:08

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Impairing Effect of Emotion on Cognition

Published on: February 1, 2012

17.0K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Memory Research

Background:

  • A link between working memory (WM) and memory distortions is established.
  • The specific influence of WM on emotional false memories remains unclear.
  • Understanding this relationship is crucial for memory research and cognitive function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of working memory (WM) capacity in emotional false memory production.
  • To examine how valence (negative, positive, neutral) interacts with WM capacity in false memory formation.
  • To determine if WM influences the susceptibility to memory distortions for emotional events.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments were conducted using a verbal working memory (WM) task and a false memory paradigm.
  • Experiment 1 assessed individual differences in WM capacity and their interaction with emotional valence.
  • Experiment 2 manipulated WM capacity by using a dual-task paradigm to observe effects on false memories.

Main Results:

  • Individual differences in WM capacity interacted with emotional valence to predict false recognition.
  • High WM individuals showed protection against false remembering for negative and positive material.
  • Reduced WM capacity led to an overall increase in false memories, with a larger increase for negative events.

Conclusions:

  • Working memory (WM) plays a critical role in the production of false memories.
  • WM capacity significantly influences the processing of emotional material, particularly negative events.
  • These findings highlight the importance of cognitive control in maintaining memory accuracy, especially under emotional load.