Correlational study between declarative memory and a psicometric test (STAIC) in teenagers from Bucaramanga.

Abstract

Introduction: Several studies have demonstrated that emotional arousal enhanced long-term memory in adults.
Objective: In the current study, we examined declarative memory associated with emotional content using the visual-auditory test in adolescents, and he correlation between the visual-auditory test, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) and adolescent’s academic performance.
Methodology: Fifty nine subjects were recruited from a School in Bucaramanga. Subject’s ages ranged between 12 and 15, with approximately equal representation of males and females. All subjects were divided in two groups: Adolescents with high score in trait anxiety and adolescents with low score in trait anxiety of STAIC. Each group were distributed in others two groups randomly. One group viewed 11 slides accompanied by «emotional arousal story», and the second group viewed 11 slides accompanied by «neutral story». In both groups the 11 slides showed the same pictures.
Results: Main results were the group of «emotional arousal story» remembered more elements than the «neutral story» group, demonstrating the effect mnemonic induced by «emotional arousal». The scores state-trait anxiety (STAIC) didn’t changing the mnemonic performance in «emotional arousal story» group.
Conclusions: Sadness and fear were associated with emotional version of visual-auditory test, whereas the neutral version was associated with happiness. Finally, we founded a high positive correlation between enhancement mnemonic and academic performance.

Authors

• Silvia Botelho de Oliveira Universidad Industrial de Santander
• Angela Pilar Albarracín Universidad Industrial de Santander
• Beatriz Helena Chona Universidad Industrial de Santander
• Carlos Arturo Conde Universidad Industrial de Santander
• Carlos Tomaz Universidade de Brasília