Attention and Memory Bias for Positive Emotional Words
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UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations 1-1-2004 Attention and memory bias for positive emotional words Gregory P Strauss University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/rtds Repository Citation Strauss, Gregory P, "Attention and memory bias for positive emotional words" (2004). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 1747. http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/omw6-km4t This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ATTENTION AND MEMORY BIAS FOR POSITIVE EMOTIONAL WORDS by Gregory P. Strauss Bachelor of Science University of Georgia 2002 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology Department of Psychology College of Liberal Arts Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas December 2004 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1427430 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 1427430 Copyright 2005 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Copyright by Gregory Strauss 2004 All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Thesis Approval UNTV The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas March 29 _,20Qi. The Thesis prepared by Gregory Paul Strauss Entitled Attention and Memory Bias for Positive Emotional Words is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts., i n._Psyebol^igy_____________________ Examintmon Committee Chair Dean of the Graduate College Examt Committee Memhê^* Examination Committee Member (lo rlco U Graduate College Faculty Representative 11 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT Attention and Memory Bias for Positive Emotional Words by Gregory P. Strauss, B.S. Dr. Daniel N. Allen, Examination Committee Chair Associate Professor of Psychology University of Nevada, Las Vegas The current study examined the relationship between attention and memory for emotional words. Theories of “basic emotion” divide emotions into positive and negative classifications, and propose that discrete categories exist within the larger positive negative dichotomy. Previous research on emotion has yet to investigate the areas of attention and memory by dividing positive/negative words into discrete emotional categories. Participants included 30 undergraduate students between the ages 18-40. Attention and Memory were examined using an Emotional Stroop task. The Emotional Verbal Learning Test, and the California Verbal Learning Test-II, respectively. Stimuli for emotional tasks are divided into five emotional word categories of: happiness, sadness, anger, anxiety, and disgust. Results support the existence of the Pollyanna Principle in memory and attention; however, attention and memory were not significantly correlated within discrete emotion conditions. Ill Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT............................................................................................................................ iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS..................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW..............................................................................5 Basic Emotion..................................................................................................................... 5 Positive Emotion.................................................................................................................9 The Pollyanna Principle....................................................................................... 11 Memory and Emotion.......................................................................................................13 Bower’s Associative Semantic Network Model................................................16 Teasdale’s Integrated Cognitive Subsystems Model........................................ 18 Neuropsychological Models of Emotion and Memory..................................... 19 Positive Emotions and Memory......................................................................... 22 Attention Bias................................................................................................................... 26 Summary............................................................................................................................31 Hypotheses.........................................................................................................................33 CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY......................................................................................34 Participants.........................................................................................................................34 Procedures..........................................................................................................................35 Measures............................................................................................................................37 California Verbal Learning Test-II.................................................................... 37 Emotional Verbal Learning Test........................................................................ 39 Stimulus Development.............................................................................41 List A Construction..................................................................................44 List B Construction..................................................................................45 List A Long-Delay Yes/No Recognition Test Construction.................46 Emotionality Ratings for CVLT-II Words............................................. 47 Emotional Stroop Task....................................................................................... 47 E-Stroop Apparatus..................................................................................48 E-Stroop Stimulus Materials ................................................................... 49 E-Stroop Procedures................................................................................53 Data Entry and Analyses...................................................................................................55 Data Entry and Screening.................................................................................... 54 Evaluation of Main Hypotheses...........................................................................55 CHAPTER 4 RESULTS.....................................................................................................57 IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Preliminary Analyses.........................................................................................................57 Evaluation of Main Hypotheses.......................................................................................58 Hypothesis 1.........................................................................................................58 Hypothesis 2.........................................................................................................60 Hypothesis 3.........................................................................................................62 Additional Analyses..........................................................................................................64 Attention Bias..................................................................................................... 64 Memory Bias........................................................................................................67 CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION............................................................................................