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Memory bias in the assessment and recall of pre‐exam anxiety: how anxious was I?
Author(s) -
Keuler David J.,
Safer Martin A.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
applied cognitive psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.719
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1099-0720
pISSN - 0888-4080
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-0720(199812)12:7<s127::aid-acp582>3.0.co;2-2
Subject(s) - recall , psychology , anxiety , clinical psychology , psychiatry , cognitive psychology
This study investigated retrospective evaluations of past emotional states. Twenty‐nine graduate students rated their anxiety one day prior to their comprehensive examination. Approximately 1 month later, they attempted to recall their pre‐exam anxiety ratings. Half the students recalled after being informed that they had passed the exam, while the others recalled while still awaiting a decision. Students as a whole, but especially those who knew they had passed, recalled being more anxious than what they had reported initially. Thus one's recollection of a prior emotional state may be influenced by one's current emotional state. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.