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Sensitivity of late ERP old/new effects in source memory to self-referential encoding focus and stimulus emotionality
Aiqing Nie1, Wenyu Zhou2, Yueyue Xiao2
1Department of Psychology, College of Educational Sciences, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province 030031, China; The MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science & Brain-machine Integration, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
|July 2, 2023
Summary
Self-referential encoding influences source memory's old/new effect, particularly with emotional stimuli. This effect is modulated by encoding focus and stimulus valence during later memory retrieval processes.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- The old/new effect in episodic memory is well-studied, but its relation to self-referential encoding in source memory (source-SRE) remains unclear.
- The impact of stimulus emotionality on source-SRE is also not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the contribution of self-referential encoding to the old/new effect in source memory.
- To examine whether stimulus emotionality and encoding focus influence source-SRE.
Main Methods:
- Utilized event-related potential (ERP) technique.
- Presented words with positive, neutral, and negative emotional valences.
- Employed self-focus versus external-focus encoding tasks.
Main Results:
- Mid-frontal effect (FN400) and late positive component (LPC) were unaffected by source-SRE or emotionality.
- Late posterior negativity (LPN) showed an inverse relationship with source-SRE and was influenced by emotional valence and encoding focus.
- Right frontal old/new effect (RFE) indicated source-SRE for emotional words, reflecting post-retrieval processes.
Conclusions:
- Stimulus valence and encoding focus significantly impact self-referential encoding in source memory.
- These influences are particularly evident in the later stages of memory retrieval.
