The effects of different mood induction procedures on memory.

Abstract

Are the moods induced by two different induction techniques the same mood? Memorial effects indicate that the Velten relative to Cook's technique may induce a different mood state, but the two have never been directly compared using the same methodology. The present study attempted this comparison. Subjects (N-e4) were blocked on sex and randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions in a 2 (Technique: Velten or Cook) X 2 (Sex: male or female) X 2 (Mood: happy or sad) X 3 (Sentence Affect: happy, sad, and neutral) mixed factor design. Mood was successfully induced. Velten's but not Cook's subjects demonstrated better recall for sentence congruent with the mood at encoding. Subjects made happy with the Cook in contrast to Velten's technique recalled more sad sentences. Cook females exposed to the Cook mood induction technique regardless of mood recognized more sentences than their male counterparts it appears that the mood induced by the different techniques may be qualitatively different. Interestingly, the difference seems more pronounced for the happy than sad moods.