Physiological reactions at encoding selectively predict recognition of emotional images

Pilarczyk, Joanna; Sterna, Radosław; Schwertner, Emilia; Pacula, Beata; Bartoszek, Marta; Kuniecki, Michał

doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108429

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…The goals of Study 3 were largely exploratory. However, previous work has demonstrated that heart rate deceleration is associated with enhanced memory for complex emotionally laden scenes (Abercrombie et al, 2008; Pilarczyk et al, 2022). Therefore, for images of suffering, we expected to observe a correspondence between greater heart rate deceleration at the posttraining assessment and better memory confidence for these themes.…”

Section: Study 3: Subsequent Memory Analysismentioning

confidence: 91%

Cultivating concern for others: Meditation training and motivated engagement with human suffering.

King¹,

Zanesco²,

Skwara³

et al. 2023

Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

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Contemplative traditions have long affirmed that compassion and kindness are trainable skills. While research on meditation practice has recently flourished, the mechanisms that might engender such changes are still poorly understood. Here, we present a motivational framework to explain why meditation training should increase concern for others and modulate empathic engagement with human suffering over time. Meditation practices are conceived as tools for enacting cognitive and emotion regulatory goals that are conditioned by the underlying ethical motivation of the training-to reduce and alleviate suffering. In support of this account, we present data from a randomized, wait-list-controlled study of intensive meditation. In Study 1, we use a novel cardiovascular index to show that 3 months of meditation training can increase the motivational salience of others' suffering, as compared to the salience of threats to oneself. In Study 2, we demonstrate that training-related changes in the ability to orient attention to suffering are mediated by the dynamic regulation of distress-related physiological arousal. Finally, in Study 3, we provide exploratory evidence suggesting that meditation training may influence how human suffering is encoded in memory, leaving lasting imprints on the recollection of emotional experience. Together, our findings suggest that meditation training can strengthen the motivational relevance of others' suffering, prompting a shift from self-focused to other-focused evaluative processing. Considering meditation training from a motivational standpoint offers an important perspective for understanding how compassion can be cultivated through intentional practice. Public Significance StatementWe examined the question of whether meditation training can alter how people attend to human suffering in ways that might facilitate interpersonal empathy and compassion. After an intensive period of training, experienced meditators demonstrated physiological patterns that signal greater concern in response to indicators of suffering in others. Importantly, they also showed fewer signs of overwhelm and emotional distress. This study highlights the importance of considering people's motivations and intentions for engaging in contemplative practice when assessing the outcomes of meditation-based interventions.

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Section: Study 3: Subsequent Memory Analysismentioning

confidence: 91%

Cultivating concern for others: Meditation training and motivated engagement with human suffering.

King¹,

Zanesco²,

Skwara³

et al. 2023

Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

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“…The subsequent memory effect on pupil size is complex in nature 42 , 43 , with some evidence suggesting an important moderating role for the nature of the encoding task. For example, studies that have employed low-level incidental encoding have found a negative relationship between pupil size during encoding and subsequent memory 44 , 45 , whereas studies that have used intentional encoding have generally found a positive relationship 46 , 47 but see 48 . Several authors have argued that pupil dilation during intentional encoding does not reflect memory formation per se but rather the effortful nature 44 or the time pressure 49 that are often associated with intentional encoding tasks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of reward-induced arousal on the success and precision of episodic memory retrieval

Lloyd,

Nieuwenhuis

2024

Sci Rep

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Moment-to-moment fluctuations in arousal can have large effects on learning and memory. For example, when neutral items are predictive of a later reward, they are often remembered better than neutral items without a reward association. This reward anticipation manipulation is thought to induce a heightened state of arousal, resulting in stronger encoding. It is unclear, however, whether these arousal-induced effects on encoding are ‘all-or-none’, or whether encoding precision varies from trial to trial with degree of arousal. Here, we examined whether trial-to-trial variability in reward-related pupil-linked arousal might correspond to variability in participants’ long-term memory encoding precision. We tested this using a location memory paradigm in which half of the to-be-encoded neutral items were linked to later monetary reward, while the other half had no reward association. After the encoding phase, we measured immediate item location memory on a continuous scale, allowing us to assess both memory success and memory precision. We found that pre-item baseline pupil size and pupil size during item encoding were not related to subsequent memory performance. In contrast, the anticipation of instrumental reward increased pupil size, and a smaller anticipatory increase in pupil size was linked to greater subsequent memory success but not memory precision.

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“…This discrepancy in the shape of pupil patterns predicting subsequent memory has also been found when negative stimuli are encoded. A recent study [ 40 ] highlighted that the incidental encoding of both emotional and neutral stimuli led to pupil constriction patterns predictive of subsequent memory. This is similar to the previous findings with incidental and expected novelty [ 26 , 41 ].…”

Section: Novelty Detection and Encoding Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eyes on Memory: Pupillometry in Encoding and Retrieval

Kafkas

2024

Vision

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This review critically examines the contributions of pupillometry to memory research, primarily focusing on its enhancement of our understanding of memory encoding and retrieval mechanisms mainly investigated with the recognition memory paradigm. The evidence supports a close link between pupil response and memory formation, notably influenced by the type of novelty detected. This proposal reconciles inconsistencies in the literature regarding pupil response patterns that may predict successful memory formation, and highlights important implications for encoding mechanisms. The review also discusses the pupil old/new effect and its significance in the context of recollection and in reflecting brain signals related to familiarity or novelty detection. Additionally, the capacity of pupil response to serve as a true memory signal and to distinguish between true and false memories is evaluated. The evidence provides insights into the nature of false memories and offers a novel understanding of the cognitive mechanisms involved in memory distortions. When integrated with rigorous experimental design, pupillometry can significantly refine theoretical models of memory encoding and retrieval. Furthermore, combining pupillometry with neuroimaging and pharmacological interventions is identified as a promising direction for future research.

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Physiological reactions at encoding selectively predict recognition of emotional images

Cited by 3 publications

References 88 publications

Cultivating concern for others: Meditation training and motivated engagement with human suffering.

Cultivating concern for others: Meditation training and motivated engagement with human suffering.

The effect of reward-induced arousal on the success and precision of episodic memory retrieval

Eyes on Memory: Pupillometry in Encoding and Retrieval

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