The effect of arousal on emotional recall

It is habitual, when relating traumatic events during counselling sessions, self-help meetings, or as witnesses, to accompany this communication with cups of coffee. This research investigated whether caffeine-induced arousal during recall causes perception of emotions differently from when originally experienced. Twenty Algoma University students watched an emotionally charged movie and immediately answered a questionnaire on how intensely they perceived their emotions during the movie. Two days later, the subjects' physiological state (arousal or non-arousal) was manipulated by either 200 mgs of caffeine (stimulant) or a placebo (non-stimulant). They then answered the questionnaire again. When arousal is not present at recal, the perceived intensity of emotion diminishes. When arousal is present at recall, the received emotion is reestablished close to the intensity experienced during the event being recalled. What we consume does affect how we remember.