Mere exposure in reverse: Mood and motion modulate memory bias

Abstract

Mere exposure, generally, entails influences of familiarity manipulations on affective dependent variables. Previously (Phaf & Rotteveel, 2005), we have argued that familiarity corresponds intrinsically to positive affect, and have extended the correspondence to novelty and negative affect. Here, we present two experiments that show reverse effects of affective manipulations on perceived familiarity. In Experiment 1 affectively valenced exteroceptive cues of approach and avoidance (e.g., apparent movement) modulated recognition bias of neutral targets. This finding suggests that our correspondence hypotheses can be generalised to an important aspect of emotion, namely approach and avoidance tendencies. In Experiment 2 participants’ emotional mood was manipulated within the Jacoby–Whitehouse paradigm and a pattern of results was obtained as if consciousness was manipulated. We interpret the latter results within the affective modulation framework (AMF), which postulates facilitation of nonconscious processing by positive affect and an enhancement of conscious processing by negative affect.

Acknowledgements

We thank Sumit Mehra and Floris van der Hoek for their assistance in collecting the data.