RESUMEN
Residual arousal has been conceptualized as a state of physiological activation that is amenable to misattribution-like processes because individuals are unaware of their aroused physiological state (Zillmann, 1978). Although there is considerable evidence showing that people in the state labeled "residual arousal" rate excitatory stimuli in a more polarized fashion (see review by Zillmann, 1983), the available evidence for the notion that residual arousal is imperceptible can alternatively be interpreted as evidence of an inability to discriminate the cause of the residual arousal. To determine the nature of the cognitive representation of residual arousal (and, hence, whether excitation transfer is likely to be a nonconscious rather than conscious misattributional process), cardiac activity and reported arousal were tracked before, during, and following exercise. Results replicated previous research showing that exercise-induced cardiac activity remained significantly elevated when subjects ceased to report feeling aroused due to the exercise. These findings were extended through the joint use of magnitude estimation and psychophysiological procedures to index what level of exercise-induced bodily activation was reportable. Results indicated that residual arousal is unperceived rather than perceived and mistaken as to its cause. Implications of the present research range from theories of arousal and of misattribution to the effects of stress-related variations in cardiac performance on cardiac detection.
Asunto(s)
Nivel de Alerta , Cognición , Adolescente , Adulto , Nivel de Alerta/fisiología , Ejercicio Físico , Frecuencia Cardíaca , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMEN
Pigeons were trained in delayed matching-to-sample with two postsample stimuli. A postsample R-cue signaled that a matching choice phase would follow. A postsample F-cue signaled that a matching choice phase would not follow. Previous research found reduced matching accuracy on F-cued probe trials when comparison stimuli were presented in the choice phase. The present four experiments systematically varied the events following an F-cue to determine the conditions under which the F-cue reduces delayed-matching accuracy. When F-cues and R-cues controlled different behavior, matching on probe trials was poor. When both cues controlled the same behavior, matching on probe trials was good. This result is best explained by the theory that comparison stimuli retrieve the sample representation, but only in the behavioral context established by the R-cue. The present research supports the view that response-produced stimuli serve a contextual role in animal short-term memory.