Memory blocking and recovery for affect word lists

Abstract

Smith et al. (2003) found powerful memory blocking and recovery effects for recall of categorized word lists. The present study investigated whether affect, or emotional words could be similarly blocked and recovered, or whether their distinctiveness would prevent such words from being forgotten. Three experiments found a blocking and recovery effect for affect word lists, similar to that found in previous experiments that used affectively neutral lists. The results of the present study suggest that interference and cuing can cause strong blocking and recovery effects with affective materials.