Question

The findings from a study regarding the differential effect of emotional arousal on memory for central and peripheral details is best explained by which mechanism.

increasing emotional arousal:

a) causes a restriction of the focus of attention
b) improves memory but only up to the optimal level of arousal
c) impairs encoding of peripheral details
d) enhances the retrieval of encoded central details

Answer 1

Option d) enhances the retrieval of encoded central details.

Step-by-step explanation:

The findings from a study regarding the differential effect of emotional arousal on memory for central and peripheral details is best explained by option d) enhancing the retrieval of encoded central details. Strong emotional experiences trigger the release of neurotransmitters and hormones that strengthen memory. As a result, our memory for emotional events is usually better than our memory for non-emotional events. This is known as the arousal theory, which suggests that strong emotions lead to strong memories.