| Cognitive and clinical researchers have attempted to elucidate the processes associated with emotional memories, as well as the individual differences that contribute to the recollection of emotional material. The primary focus of these investigations has been to examine the unique roles of valence and arousal in memory. However, as we will demonstrate, a dimensional model of emotionality indicates that the unique and cumulative effects of both factors must be taken into consideration. This study utilized a dimensional approach to examine individual differences in the emotional processing of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and non-anxious controls. GAD has been previously characterized by differences in physiological arousal and encoding deficits for negative valence. Therefore, these individuals serve as a particularly salient test of the dimensional approach to affective memory. Indeed, the results of the current study suggest an interactive effect of both factors, as GADs demonstrated difficulty with discriminating high arousing positive valenced images during a test of immediate recognition. GADs had an overall deficit with memory discrimination at long term (1 week) recognition. Additional results from the memory tests and measures of cardiovascular activity will be presented and the implications for valence and arousal based memory will be discussed. |
