Stephen R. Schmidt
Research
Program
"The
attention which we lend
to an experience is proportional to its vivid or interesting character:
and it is a notorious fact that
what
interests us most vividly at the time is, other things equal, what we
remember best. An impression may be so exciting emotionally
as almost to leave a scar upon the cerebral tissues . . ."
(William James, 1890, p. 670).
Not all memories
are created equal.
Our memories for some very exceptional events seem to
stand-out in our minds,
and as such they may form the very core of who we are.
For example, you may remember where you were and what you
were doing when you first heard about the September 11, 2001
terrorists'
attacks. Do such memories stand-out because they received
extra-processing during the
experience? Alternatively, perhaps they are simply more accessible
during times of recollection? There is probably some truth to
both of these possibilities. Much of my research has focused
on the cognitive dynamics that lead to outstanding memories for
exceptional events.
Works in Progress
Schmidt,
S. R. (in
preparation).
Extraordinary Memories
for Exceptional Events.
Psychology Press.
Schmidt, S. R. (submitted, and under revision) The Emotional Carryover
Effect in Recognition Memory for Words.
Schmidt, S. R. (submitted, and under revision) Memory for Emotional
Words in Sentences: The Importance of Emotional Contrast.
Goad, C. & Schmidt, S. R. (in preparation). Delayed Disengagement
from Emotional Pictures as Measured by Automatic and Controlled
Processing Tasks.
Recent Publications
Schmidt,
S. R. (2008). Distinctiveness and memory: A
theoretical and empirical review. In Roediger, H L. (Ed) Learning and
Memory: A Comprehensive Reference: Volume 2: Cognitive
Psychology of Memory (pp.
125-144). Oxford: Elsevier.
Schmidt, S. R. (2007). Unscrambling the Effects of Emotion and
Distinctiveness on Memory. In Nairne, J. (Ed.) The Foundations of
Remembering: Essays in Honor of Henry L. Roediger, III
(pp. 141-158).
New York: Psychological Press.
Schmidt, S. R. (2006). Emotion, significance, distinctiveness, and
Memory. In R. R. Hunt, & J. B. Worthen, (Eds.) Distinctiveness and
Memory (pp. 47-64). Oxford:
University Press.
Schmidt,
S. R., Saari, B. (2007). The emotional memory effect: Differential
processing or item distinctiveness? Memory
& Cognition,
35, 1905-1916.
Schmidt, S. R. (2004). Autobiographical memories
for the September 11th attacks: Reconstruction,
distinctiveness, plus emotional impairment of memory. Memory &
Cognition, 32, 443-454.
Schmidt, S. R. (2002). Outstanding Memories: The
Positive and Negative Effects of Nudes on Memory. Journal of Experimental
Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 28,
353-361.
Schmidt, S. R. (2002). The humor effect:
Differential processing and privileged retrieval. Memory, 10,
127-138.
Recent Presentations
Goad, C. Hall, D. &
Schmidt, S. R. (2010, November). Delayed
Disengagement
from Emotional Pictures as Measured by Automatic and Controlled
Processing Tasks. Paper
presented at the meeting of the Psychonomic Society, St Louis, MO.
Schmidt, S. R. (2009,
November). Is
the Emotional Memory Effect Due to Emotion?
Paper presented at the meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Boston, MA.
Schmidt, S. R. (2008,
November). Exploring
the Emotional Carry-over
Effect in Memory.
Paper presented at the meeting of the Psychonomic
Society, Chicago, Il.
Schmidt, S. R. (2007,
November). Killing Good Memory
for
Emotional
Words. Paper
presented at the meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Long
Beach, California.
Schmidt, S. R. (2006,
May). Encoding and Retrieval
Processes in Memory
of Emotional Words.
Paper presented at the Annual Meeting, Midwestern
Psychology Association, Chicago, IL.
Schmidt, S. R. (2005, March). Unscrambling
the Effects
of Emotion and
Distinctiveness on Memory.
Invited Address at the Directions in Memory
Research Conference, Purdue University.
Saari, B. & Schmidt, S.
R. (May, 2005). The effects of
taboo
words
on memory. Paper
presented at the annual meeting of the South
Eastern
Psychological Association, Nashville, TN.
Schmidt, S. R. (2003, April). Emotion,
Significance,
Distinctiveness, and Memory.
Paper presented at the 49th Annual Convention, Southwestern
Psychological Association, New Orleans, LA.
Recent Student
Presentations
Baudo,
R., & Schmidt, S. R. (2011, April). Cognitive carry over effect with varying
stimuli. Paper resented at
MTPA, Murfreesboro, TN
Williams, M., & Schmidt, S. R. (2011, April). The effects of emotional stimuli on
working memory. Paper resented at
MTPA, Murfreesboro, TN
Baudo,
R., & Schmidt, S. R. (2010, April). A Study of Delayed
Disengagement of Attention: Pictures Versus Words.
Paper resented at
MTPA, Clarksville, TN
Goad, C. Hall, D. & Schmidt, S. R. (2010, April). Delayed
Disengagement of Automatic Processing.
Paper resented at MTPA,
Clarksville, TN
Hays, J., Cates, B., Benneyworth, D. Holt, M., Schmidt, S. R. (2010,
April). Does scent have an
effect
on learning and memory?
Paper resented at MTPA, Clarksville, TN
Cassie, D. J., Roberts, W. M. Rhodes, R. N. Taylor, G. R.,
Schmidt, S. R. (2008, April). Separating
Distinctiveness and
the Emotional Memory Effect. Paper
resented at MTPA, Clarksville, TN.
Gibson, L. E., Starchman, A. G., Martin, B. S., & Schmidt, S.
R. (2008, April). The Effects
of Emotional
Words on Memory
for Surrounding Words.
Paper resented at MTPA, Clarksville,
TN.
