Memory and mood research: Do you forget names at a party? You may be having too good a time
Do you forget names at a party? You may be having too good a time, say scientists
Do you have trouble remembering names at parties? It may because your having too good a time.
Scientists researching the relationship between mood and the memory have found being in a good mood decreases your ability to retain information.
Awkward: Can't remember a new name at a dinner party? It may be because you're enjoying yourself, according to a new study
Elizabeth Martin, a doctoral student from the University of Missouri, led the latest study into working (immediate) memory.
She said of her findings: 'This explains why you might not be able to remember a phone number you get at a party when you are having a good time.
'This research is the first to show that positive mood can negatively impact working memory storage capacity. This shows that although systems in the brain are connected, it is possible to affect one process but not others.'
Researchers gauged study participants' mood before and after showing them one of two video clips. Some participants were shown a segment of a stand-up comedy routine, while others watched an instructional video on how to install flooring.
Following the videos, those that viewed the comedy routine were in significantly better moods after viewing the video, while the mood of those that viewed the flooring video had not changed.
After watching the videos, both groups completed a memory test. This test provides several numbers to a participant through headphones at a rate of four numbers per second.
After the recording stopped, participants were asked to recall the last six numbers in order. Those that watched the comedy routine and were in a better mood performed significantly worse on the task.
However Ms Martin said: 'While working memory storage is decreased, being in a good mood is not all bad.
'Being in a good mood has been shown to increase creative problem-solving skills and other aspects of thinking.'
The doctoral student added that future research should analyse the impact of mood on working memory storage capacity in real life situations, such as in a classroom setting.
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