The effects of mood as a recall cue for abstract nouns
Tushar Sophia Edwin · UC Research Repository (University of Canterbury) · 1985
The study was designed to look at the effects of induced happy and sad moods as a recall cue for abstract nouns. Bower's network theory of memory and emotion was used as a theoretical basis. The factors of list length and retention interval were varied with the hypothesis that longer list lengths and retention intervals would increase the effectiveness of mood as a recall cue by increasing the strain on memory. Forty subjects were randomly allocated to each of eight groups which differed in list lengths, retention intervals and the type of induction undergone. Subjects were first presented with a list of abstract nouns to learn. After either of the retention intervals, one of the moods was induced in subjects by their reading of mood-inducing self-referent statements. Pre and post induction mood scale scores and performance on a writing speed task were taken as measures of the robustness of the mood change. Two separate analyses of the recall data were conducted, the second taking into account a possible confounding effect in the lists presented to the subjects. The first analysis showed a significant effect for short list and short retention interval groups, the second showed no significant mood-congruent effects. Also, it was not possible to be certain that mood had been induced in the subjects because although significant results were obtained for the mood scale scores, the writing speed results were not significant. Therefore, no definite conclusions could be drawn regarding the effectiveness of mood as a recall cue for abstract nouns. A further experiment, designed to clarify the ambiguous results, was suggested.