25th Annual Student Research Conference
The Interaction of Hypomania, Affect, and Memory
Jennifer G. Pearlstein*, Kelsey N. Spalding, Jordan Constance, Nicholaus Jacobson, and Peter Ruberton
Dr. Jeffrey Vittengl, Faculty Mentor
This study assessed cognitive implications of hypomania. Hypomania involves elevated affect, hyperactivity, and poor judgment. The questions posed by this project are: (1) how do persistent elevated affect, induced positive affect, and neutral affect impact memory and (2) to what is the relation between affect and memory attributed. Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental condition with a positive affect inducing video or the control condition with no mood induction. All participants engaged in the memory task which involved critical lure recall, wherein a list of words centers on a topic and lacks an obvious word, the critical lure. Both neutral and impulsive behavior related word lists were presented. We found that increased hypomania related to general and content specific memory recall. This research suggests significant relations between cognition and the persistent affective state, hypomania.
Keywords: affect, memory, hypomania, cognition
Topic(s):Psychology
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 800-2
Location: Georgian Room - SUB
Time: 3:30