Hemispheric asymmetries in recognition memory for negative and neutral words

  1. Diego Morais 1
  2. Pedro Gamito 1
  3. Valentina Ladera Fernández 2
  4. Tomaz Saraiva 1
  5. María Victoria Perea Bartolomé 2
  6. J. Oliveira 1
  7. Pedro Joel Mendes Rosa 1
  1. 1 Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias
  2. 2 Universidad de Salamanca
    info

    Universidad de Salamanca

    Salamanca, España

    ROR https://ror.org/02f40zc51

Revista:
Journal of Eyetracking, Visual Cognition and Emotion

ISSN: 1647-7685

Año de publicación: 2011

Volumen: 1

Número: 1

Páginas: 13-21

Tipo: Artículo

GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAcceso abierto editor

Otras publicaciones en: Journal of Eyetracking, Visual Cognition and Emotion

Resumen

Federmeier and Benjamin (2005) have suggested that semantic encoding for verbal informationin the right hemisphere can be more effective when memory demands are higher. However,other studies (Kanske & Kotz, 2007) also suggest that visual word recognition differ infunction of emotional valence. In this context, the present study was designed to evaluate theeffects of retention level upon recognition memory processes for negative and neutral words.Sample consisted of 15 right-handed undergraduate portuguese students with normal orcorrected to normal vision. Portuguese concrete negative and neutral words were selected inaccordance to known linguistic capabilities of the right hemisphere. The participants weresubmitted to a visual half-field word presentation using a continuous recognition memoryparadigm. Eye movements were continuously monitored with a Tobii T60 eye-tracker thatshowed no significant differences in fixations to negative and neutral words. Reaction times inword recognition suggest an overall advantage of negative words in comparison to the neutralwords. Further analysis showed faster responses for negative words than for neutral wordswhen were recognised at longer retention intervals for left-hemisphere encoding.Electrophysiological data through event related potentials revealed larger P2 amplitude overcentro-posterior electrode sites for words studied in the left hemifield suggesting a primingeffect for right-hemisphere encoding. Overall data suggest different hemispheric memorystrategies for the semantic encoding of negative and neutral words.

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