Spatial memory under emotion: Effects across encoding, maintenance and retrieval

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Affective Science

Background:

• Emotions significantly influence memory, but their effect on spatial memory is complex and context-dependent.
• Existing models often overlook the nuanced interplay between emotional valence, memory phases, and spatial reference frames.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how emotional valence affects spatial memory across different phases (encoding, maintenance, retrieval).
• To examine the differential impact of emotional valence on egocentric (body-centered) versus allocentric (environment-based) spatial representations.
• To propose a stage-dependent model reconciling inconsistent findings in emotion-spatial memory research.

Main Methods:

• Three experiments manipulated the timing of emotional stimuli during spatial memory tasks.
• Participants performed tasks assessing egocentric and allocentric spatial memory.
• Individual differences in mood, interoception, and alexithymia were assessed.

Main Results:

• Negative emotions impaired egocentric encoding; positive emotions reduced allocentric encoding.
• Both emotional valences disrupted spatial performance during maintenance, suggesting cognitive control interference.
• Allocentric judgments were specifically affected during retrieval.
• Individual traits correlated more with egocentric than allocentric performance.

Conclusions:

• Emotional stimuli dynamically interact with spatial representations in a stage-dependent manner.
• This framework reconciles conflicting findings and advances the understanding of how affective states influence spatial behaviors.
• The findings highlight the importance of considering memory phase and reference frame in emotion-memory interactions.