Influence of emotion on perception

• What was the aim of McGinnies' 1949 study?

  To determine if anxiety affects word recognition
• What types of words were used in McGinnies' study?


  Neutral and mildly offensive or taboo words
• How were participants instructed to respond to the words in the study?

  Say the word out loud upon recognition
• What method was used to measure participants' emotional stimulation?

  Galvanic skin response (GSR) which monitors changes in sweat gland
• What were the results of McGinnies' study regarding word recognition?

  Participants took longer to recognize offensive words
• What did McGinnies conclude about emotion and perceptual set?

  Emotion affects recognition speed of words -words associated with higher anxiety or embarrassment slow down
• What term did McGinnies use to describe the brain's response to offensive words?

  Perceptual defence
• What are the strengths of McGinnies' study?

  • Objective measurement using GSR
  • Results less open to bias
  • Scientific methods enhance reliability
• What are the weaknesses of McGinnies' study?

  • Delayed recognition may be due to embarrassment
  • Extraneous variable of embarrassment affects results
  • Contradictory results in emotion and perceptual set
• How is emotion defined in the context of the study material?

  A strong feeling or mood with motivational properties
• How does emotion influence perceptual set?

  By increasing or decreasing sensitivity to stimuli
• What happens to our perception of things associated with strong emotion?

  They appear bigger, brighter, or more appealing
• What might happen when we perceive something unpleasant?

  We may block out or ignore it or perhaps notice it
• What are the effects of emotion on attention and perception?

  • Emotion influences focus of attention
  • Can increase sensitivity to threats
  • May lead to ignoring unpleasant stimuli