Affect and cognitive processes in the retention of word associates

This close replication of Levinger & Clark (1961) reinterpreted their finding lower recall for associates to emotional than to neutral stimuli. It used mood congruence (better memory for material congruent with prevailing mood) and self-schema (self-based organizing cognitive structure), adding factors of subject mood, and dysphoric and pleasant stimuli. Unexpected cued-recall followed depressed and nondepressed undergraduates giving associates to twenty each neutral, dysphoric, and pleasant adjectives. The expected mood congruence was not found. Primary findings agreed with Levinger & Clark (1961) and replications. Also found were an overall memory effect--subjects high on both pathologies recalled fewer associates to all words--and a relationship between high anxiety and lowered neutral material recall. Anxiety's unique cognitive effect, and the cognitive restructuring due to chronic depression hypothesized to be needed before this task could show a mood congruence effect were discussed.