The limited reach of surprise: Evidence against effects of surprise on memory for preceding elements of an event.

ABSTRACT: When reflecting on the past, some of our strongest memories are for experiences that took us by surprise. Extensive research has backed this intuition that we are more likely to remember surprising moments than mundane ones. But what about the moments leading up to the surprise? Are we more likely to remember those as well? While surprise is a well-established modulator of memory, it is unknown whether memory for the entire event will be enhanced, or only for the surprising occurrence itself. We developed a novel paradigm utilising stop-motion films, depicting of a sequence of narrative events, in which specific occurrences could be replaced with surprising ones, while keeping the rest of the film unaltered. Using this design, we tested whether surprise exerts retroactive effects on memory

SUBMITTER: Ben-Yakov A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9166837 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature