A psychology research team, led by University of Chicago PhD student Jadyn Park, examined why emotionally charged moments are often remembered more clearly. The study, published in Nature Human Behavior, used functional MRI (fMRI) to record whole-brain activity while people watched movie clips and listened to stories. To increase statistical power and naturalistic validity, the researchers combined existing fMRI datasets from different institutions and sites rather than relying on isolated words or static images.
They evaluated emotional arousal with three complementary methods: subjective scene ratings, arousal estimates from a large language model applied to the text, and pupil dilation as a physiological indicator. Brain activity across many regions was analysed and the mathematical framework of graph theory was applied to examine connections among networks.
The core result shows that emotional arousal strengthens memory by increasing cohesion across brain networks. During highly arousing scenes the brain moved into a more integrated state in which diverse regions became more coordinated, and that increased integration predicted later memory for those scenes. Senior author Yuan Chang (YC) Leong described the brain as an orchestra that sometimes plays together in an "integrated state," and Park suggested the findings could guide medical approaches to weaken traumatic memories by targeting that integration. The study also provides new tools to measure what makes emotional memories durable.
Difficult words
- arousal — bodily or mental alertness and emotional intensity
- cohesion — state of parts forming a unified connection
- integration — joining parts so they work together
- naturalistic — similar to real-life conditions or situations
- physiological — related to normal body functions or processes
- graph theory — mathematical study of networks and their connections
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How could the finding that integration strengthens emotional memories influence treatments for traumatic memories? Give reasons.
- What are the benefits and possible limitations of combining fMRI datasets from different institutions and sites?
- Of the three arousal measures used (subjective ratings, language-model estimates, pupil dilation), which do you think is most reliable and why?
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