The Effects of Mood and Valenced Information on Semantic Memory Retrieval

Abstract

Memory has been an important scientific research project in the world for many years. Previous studies have shown that negative emotional states, such as pre-test anxiety, can lead to memory loss. However, this emotional state is only temporary, and the effects of psychological diseases on the human body will be long-term. The purpose of this study was to explore whether mental illness affects the short-term memory ability of patients. In order to investigate the effect of mental illness on the short-term memory of patients, two experiments on 30 adults with different mental states were conducted, controlling for other variables. Participants were asked to remember as many images as possible and fill in the memorized content on subsequent tests. The results showed that individuals with Mania or depression had worse memory than the general population, but the difference was not significant.