Eyewitness recall accuracy affected by mood - UNSW research
People in a negative mood provide more accurate eyewitness accounts than people in a positive mood state, according to new research.The surprise finding, which is to be published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, is the first to assess the effect of mood on memory and human thinking.
People in a positive mood such as happiness were shown under experimental conditions to have relatively unreliable memories, and show poorer judgement and critical thinking skills.
I think most people who know me agree that I (A) have a bizarrely good memory and (B) am grumpy most of the time.
(via BoingBoing)
it's an interesting theory...i would have to both know more specifics about this study, and see more solid, "scientific" studies with similar findings in order to subscribe to it. i am happy a good deal of the time, or at least fairly even-tempered most of the time, and i find most people i know believe my memory to be pretty accurate overall. it is a long-reaching memory as well. i can understand the difference between being vigilant and unobservant, but if i'm relating them to negative and positive moods, i want some more data. :) and are we talking about chemically-induced or enhanced moods or simply how unadorned brain chemistry works? were the subjects in any way altered at all (not by the scientists but by their own hands)? interesting...
i have a strange memory...
i have a crystal clear memory for things i need to remember or want to remember.
my mind's trash can is full of old movies and tv shows. people ask, "remember that part in congo..." and i never remember. i don't think i've seen that movie, but it's an example nonetheless. the only movie/tv show parts i remember are from movies/tv show episodes that i've seen a bajillion times. like that part in the naked gun - leslie nielson: "nice beaver.", presley: "thanks, i just had it stuffed." sometimes, i'll have no idea if i've seen a certain movie until i watch it again - then it's like "oh yeah! i've seen this" or "i think i've seen this, but i'm not sure how it ends". this memory "flaw" leaves me out of many conversations, as a lot of people like to talk about movies and tv shows. i just nod politely, not knowing what the fudge they're talking about or say "i'm not sure if i saw that" to which people reply "you'd remember it if you saw it". arrrgh. why can't more people talk about abstract ideas?!
hey porkfist, remember that one time when we were at the tmbg show, and you tried to sneak backstage to steal the "lie still, little bottle" stick? no? you don't? oh wait. that was me. :) talk about a bad memory! hee. i hope you enjoyed your tee shurt!! who else could that be for if not you? and that you had a fine time in ny. i am sorry i missed you but am looking forward to annoying jeremy with you next time! :D xoxo sulky
I DID steal the stick! They had to buy another one and I hear it cost a pretty penny! ;)
Thanks for the t-shirt - I wore it already!
yes, PLEASE annoy Jeremy. He needs all the annoying he can get! I'm looking forward to meeting you next time.
:D yay!
(putting on my annoying costume...)
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This page contains a single entry by Jeremy published on August 25, 2004 9:54 AM.
Two Myths, exploded was the previous entry in this blog.
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