Neurophysiological evidence for the retrieval practice effect under emotional context

Abstract

Testing has been demonstrated to enhance memory retention compared to restudy, which is known as the retrieval practice effect. Although much evidence has shown that emotional arousal has an impact on memory retention, little is known about how emotional arousal would influence the retrieval practice effect. To answer this question, the current study used emotional pictures as a context to induce the emotional arousal for restudy or retrieval practice. A Remember/Know paradigm was used in the final test with EEG recordings to examine how the impact of emotional arousal on retrieval practice effect would be reflected in familiarity or recollection. Behavioral results showed that the remembrance was enhanced by the retrieval practice compared to the restudy under both neutral and emotional contexts. Consistently, a parietal old/new effect from 500 to 800 ms was only found for the retrieval practice but not for the restudy condition under both neutral and emotional contexts. These findings indicated that retrieval practice could enhance later recollection when compared to restudy irrespective of emotional or neutral contexts.