Abstract

The outcomes of memory search appear to have affective consequences. For instance, during recognition memory tests, concluding that a retrieval probe is from a prior study period (‘old’) leads to higher pleasantness ratings for the probe than concluding it is novel (‘new”). Grybinas, Kantner, and Dobbins (2019) explained this and related findings via a Confirmation of Search (COS) hypothesis that assumes that the affective consequences of successful versus failed episodic retrieval are misattributed to probes used to elicit memory search. While these affective misattributions clearly occur for the memory probes themselves (within-item misattribution), social psychological research has previously shown that affective misattributions can spread across items appearing close together in time (across-item misattribution). To investigate the scope of misattribution of search-related affective responses we interleaved recognition judgments (‘old’ vs ‘new’) and pleasantness ratings of items that were not judged for recognition, predicting that prior recognition conclusions would influence subsequent pleasantness ratings. Despite each experiment increasing the likelihood the affective response could transfer, all three showed no effect of recognition judgments on subsequent pleasantness ratings suggesting that the affective response to memory conclusions is specific to the items that are the focus of search operations.

Committee Chair

Ian Dobbins

Committee Members

Mitch Sommers Henry Roediger III

Comments

Permanent URL: https://doi.org/10.7936/1ejr-nt80

Degree

Master of Arts (AM/MA)

Author's Department

Psychology

Author's School

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

Winter 12-31-2019

Language

English (en)

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Psychology Commons

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