Neutral Mood Induction During Reconsolidation Reduces Accuracy, but Not Vividness and Anxiety, of Emotional Episodic Memories

Abstract

When consolidated memories are reactivated, they become labile and have to go through reconsolidation to become stabilized. This property of memory may potentially be used to reduce the impact of highly negative episodic memories. Because detailed and vivid negative episodic memories are mediated by high arousal, if arousal is lessened during reconsolidation, then memory accuracy and vividness should diminish. In this study, I examine this hypothesis. Participants viewed a stressful, suspenseful movie on Day 1 to develop negative episodic memories. Then, 24 to 29 hours later, they saw a brief reminder of the stressful movie (or not), and then viewed a neutral (or positive) movie. Another 24 to 29 hours later, I tested the accuracy, vividness, and anxiety associated with their memory of the stressful movie. Participants who watched the reminder and then the neutral movie showed reduced memory accuracy. Despite the reduction in memory accuracy, their memory vividness and anxiety associated with the stressful movie did not decrease. The results partly supported my hypothesis.