The current study researched the effect of emotional stimuli on memory and the influence of mood on this process. Earlier research has shown that emotional stimuli are better remembered than...Show moreThe current study researched the effect of emotional stimuli on memory and the influence of mood on this process. Earlier research has shown that emotional stimuli are better remembered than neutral stimuli due to an increase in attention and consolidation of emotional stimuli. Furthermore, mood has shown to have a significant influence on attention and memory when focusing on clinical outliers such as depression and anxiety, or induced mood. However, it is still unclear whether selfreported mood of healthy participants influences the emotional enhancement effect. In the current study the participants (n = 54) completed a memory task across two days. The participants completed the PANAS-SF questionnaire on the first day to assess their current mood. On the first day 60 negative and 60 neutral pictures were shown. On the second day the participants saw 75 pictures (negative and neutral), 60 of which they had seen the day before and 15 new pictures. We asked them for each picture to indicate how confident they were whether they had seen it the day before or if it was new. As we expected, we found an increased memory accuracy for negative pictures compared to neutral pictures. Moreover, we found less false alarms for negative pictures compared to neutral pictures and more hits for negative pictures. There was no significant effect found for mood influencing memory. Suggestions for future research are provided in the discussion.Show less
People with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) often experience symptoms that can have a significant impact on psychological and cognitive functioning. Research has previously shown a significant...Show morePeople with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) often experience symptoms that can have a significant impact on psychological and cognitive functioning. Research has previously shown a significant association between these two functions. The aim of this paper was to study the association between psychological factors (depression and fatigue) and cognitive functions (memory, verbal fluency, and information processing speed). Studying fatigue, depressed mood, and the combination between them can provide important indications to how psychological status relates to cognitive functioning. Cognitive functions of memory, verbal fluency, and information processing speed were measured through Buschke Selective Reminding test, Controlled Oral Word Association test, and the Symbol Digit Modalities test, respectively. Depressed mood was measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and fatigue was measured with the Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognitive Functions. Patients (N=124; mean age = 50.77 [SD = 13.5]; 25% male, 93% female; 9.7% PPMS, 28.5% SPMS, 61.3% RRMS) were categorized into four groups based on their depression and fatigue scores using clinical cut-offs (i.e., psychologically intact [no depressive mood, not fatigued], depressive mood but not fatigued, fatigued but no depressive mood, and psychologically impaired [depressive mood and fatigued]). Group did significantly differ on MS type (p < .05), Group 1 (psychologically intact) and Group 4 (no depressive mood but fatigued) were more likely to have a relapse-remitting disease course. However, findings suggest no significant association between group and cognitive functioning. Scores on the cognitive tests were similar across all groups (p = .203). This indicates that cognitive functioning is independent of psychological status. However, in light of the limitations, it is important to build on future studies to investigate this relationship further, to indicate a next step in the treatment and intervention of MS in terms of psychological problems, cognitive deficits, or both.Show less
In recent decades, our understanding of archives has evolved beyond the familiar, institutional archive carefully tended to by a small group of trained professionals. Movements such as...Show moreIn recent decades, our understanding of archives has evolved beyond the familiar, institutional archive carefully tended to by a small group of trained professionals. Movements such as postcolonialism and postcustodialism, combined with the digital turn, have allowed interest in other, less conventional forms of archiving to emerge. As such, the concept of an archival continuum (that is, the understanding of archives as evolving and participatory systems rather than fixed institutions) has been accepted by archival scholarship. This thesis investigates whether printed family memoirs that incorporate visual material from family archives can be placed along said archival continuum. Four such memoirs – The Hare with Amber Eyes (2010), In Memory of Memory (2018), Heimat: A German Family Album (2018), and Letters to Camondo (2021) – have been selected as case studies by which to examine their potential archival and evidentiary value. Each memoir is a work of postmemory – following Marianne Hirsch, the authors are processing generational trauma passed down as a result of the Holocaust. I argue that it is not only the narratives that lend them archival value, but also their inclusion of archival material. As I will show, understanding published memoirs as archives supports an expanded recognition of non-professional memory work as archival. Importantly, the increased accessibility of published memoirs to a general audience versus that of conventional archives allows for greater interaction with the preserved objects, and so aids in supporting the societal memorialization of the Holocaust. By focusing on the paper editions of the books, I am able to examine the unique benefits and challenges of the printed book as a form of accessible archive and memory object.Show less
Abstract The connection between hippocampus-dependent learning and the novelty of a previously experienced environment has been investigated through animal research for a longer time. In rodents,...Show moreAbstract The connection between hippocampus-dependent learning and the novelty of a previously experienced environment has been investigated through animal research for a longer time. In rodents, it was found that they showed theta band power while encoding memories, during the initiation of explorative movements. But there has been a scarcity of research looking at these connections in humans. This study aims to investigate the associations between memory types (landmark memory, as well as recall and recognition on an unrelated word learning task) and familiarity of the environment as well as theta bands in the brain. Thirteen men and women took part in this three-day EEG study. On the first day, participant first explored one environment during the exploration phase and later explored another time an environment that was either the same as before (familiar) or a new (novel) environment. On day two, they were then exposed to a new environment (novel condition), if they have seen two times the same environment on day 1, or to an environment that they have already seen on day 1(familiar condition) if they saw two different environments on day 1. On both days they had to complete a landmark memory, recall, and recognition task. On days two and three the participants did a delayed recall and recognition task. The EEG was used during all tasks on days one and two. The results showed that landmark memory was not affected by the novelty of the environment (p = .812). Word recall was also not affected by the novelty of the environment (p = .400), and neither was recognition (p = .227). There was more theta band power during the novel environment exploration than during the familiar environment measured (p < .001). Theta bands were not correlated with recall (p = .783) or landmark memory (p = .231). This study had a small sample, no cultural diversity, and a strict theta band inclusion criterion. Because of that, the results should be interpreted with caution and further studies should include a bigger sample, with different cultures, and perhaps a wider theta frequency spectrum. This study could help closing the gap between animal and human research, as well as create tools to assist people with learning difficulties.Show less
Cyclically driving subharmonic units can result in emergent memory effects, and such systems have the potential to store information and perform computations. For this reason, we numerically...Show moreCyclically driving subharmonic units can result in emergent memory effects, and such systems have the potential to store information and perform computations. For this reason, we numerically investigated the response to cyclic driving of two linearly coupled toggling bits, which are an inherently subharmonic unit. We found that there are 380 topologically distinct two-t-bit systems. Cyclic driving sometimes resulted in subharmonic responses with emergent periods of T=3 and T=4, as well as nonzero transients (tau>0). A variety of different orbits is possible, but the behavior (tau, T)=(0, 2) inherent to the single toggling bit, remains common in systems of two t-bits. A period of T=4 already occurred for weakly coupled systems that can be manufactured in experiments. We also found the restriction that tau + T < 4. Lastly, we conclude that coupling strength strongly affects the likelihood of avalanches occurring. The findings demonstrate both the capabilities and limitations of coupled toggling bits, which will valuable for future research.Show less
Post-photography, similar to the post-archival, can be considered a consequence of the change in how we relate to memory and history. As a result of the abundance of information, accelerated by...Show morePost-photography, similar to the post-archival, can be considered a consequence of the change in how we relate to memory and history. As a result of the abundance of information, accelerated by social media and the Internet, representations of the past have changed drastically. As a result, the way we memorize the past is under severe duress. This thesis focuses on these representations of the past, specifically on contemporary representations of archival material. It first discusses the conjunction of documentary photography and artworks concerning the archive. After this, it turns to two case studies to adequately analyse contemporary changes in the content and aesthetics of photographic as well as archival practices. In the analysis of Walid Raad’s The Atlas Group and Max Pinckers’ and MMWVA’s (Mau Mau War Veterans Associations) Unhistories, special attention is paid to important photographic concepts such as time and space. Essentially, it will offer insights into how representation and association of archival events can be reframed and remediated using photography. This research will also offer insights into the political value of aesthetic and formal reactions on the photographic archive as an institution and as a means of representation.Show less
Childhood scarcity has long lasting effects that remain visible during adulthood. Much of the literature suggests that these effects are mostly negative, but some theories such as the Life History...Show moreChildhood scarcity has long lasting effects that remain visible during adulthood. Much of the literature suggests that these effects are mostly negative, but some theories such as the Life History Theory have inspired studies that show positive effects of childhood scarcity. The current work aims to highlight the effects of experiencing childhood scarcity on adult cognitive performance in a current financial scarcity situation. We hypothesized that people who experienced childhood scarcity performed better, on a memory and attention task during a situation of current financial scarcity, then people who had not experienced such scarcity. To test their memory we used a restaurant menu containing dishes with prices and calories that participants had to recall; further, to measure attentional shifting, the menu contained a discount code that participant could copy and paste in order to save money. In the experiment 190 participants were randomly assigned to two groups – respectively low budget and high budget condition. The hypotheses were not confirmed, however a significant effect of childhood scarcity on the memory of dishes’ prices and calories was found.Show less
Instagram influences our perception and manipulates what we buy, think, and engage with. This has contributed to the digitalization of art and a shift in the shaping of our collective perceptions...Show moreInstagram influences our perception and manipulates what we buy, think, and engage with. This has contributed to the digitalization of art and a shift in the shaping of our collective perceptions of the past. Previous research has indicated that artists and cultural memory are intertwined. Likewise, it demonstrated that social media and cultural memory are connected. However, literature on cultural memory theory has rarely been developed in context of academic research of the combination of artists and social media. This thesis will use qualitative research methods and the theories of Halbwachs’ collective memory, Warburg’s social memory and Nora’s sites of memory in addition to other expert’s analysis to investigate how contemporary artists’ use of Instagram affects the theory of cultural memory. The combination of this research illuminates that artists and their fans are in the unique position to create a visible anchor of memory by shaping or viewing Instagram as a carefully curated exhibition site. This thesis’ purpose is to add value to memory studies, social media research and art history literature streams by taking insights from cultural memory research and applying it to social media research.Show less
This thesis critically approaches the notion of nostalgia as a site for negotiating the way communities in Ladakh reproduce the past in the present. Multiple nostalgias are explored and the various...Show moreThis thesis critically approaches the notion of nostalgia as a site for negotiating the way communities in Ladakh reproduce the past in the present. Multiple nostalgias are explored and the various nostalgic postures are unpacked as they encounter and engage with modernity. The aim is to understand through ethnographic analysis, the temporalities within which nostalgia occurs and the interplay between nostalgia and cultural practices that provide a site to study how the past is maintained in the present.Show less
The investigation of Porto M, a non-traditional museum on the island of Lampedusa, analyses the deeper motives behind the curators’ aesthetic choices and their political meanings. This non...Show moreThe investigation of Porto M, a non-traditional museum on the island of Lampedusa, analyses the deeper motives behind the curators’ aesthetic choices and their political meanings. This non-conventional museum is a site of memory, politics, and resistance: It performs memory and political practices to denounce Western forms of domination and abuse of power, such as (neo)colonialism, (neo)imperialism and exploitation of the territory. Porto M creates a memory that shed light on issues related to migration raises awareness on migrants' and Lampedusani's difficulties on the island and also actively opposes the militarisation of Lampedusa. Show less
In ancient thought memory has long been regarded as a magnificent instrument of the soul. Up until this point, it has remained a rather open question to what extent Augustine draws from Neoplatonic...Show moreIn ancient thought memory has long been regarded as a magnificent instrument of the soul. Up until this point, it has remained a rather open question to what extent Augustine draws from Neoplatonic sources and possibly from Roman mnemotechnics, as well as from developments of contemporary Christian doctrine in in order to structure and formulate his thought on memory. Although Augustine thematises the concept of memory throughout his literary works, book X of the Confessions stands out as a definite and original analysis of memory. In it, we see how Augustine traverses the vast spaces of his memory, retrieving from its hidden recesses all kinds of mental images and objects, his past experiences, himself, his forgetfulness, with the aim to find God, whom he could not find in the world around him. Interestingly, book X presents us not just with an extensive theory of memory as a cognitive function, but as the place through which we attain knowledge of the highest Being, namely God. In this thesis I will attempt to address the extent to which Augustine’s analysis of memory in Book X of his Confessions is influenced by and differs from the Ancient Western philosophical tradition that went before him through three different themes: i) the structure by which we attain Beauty, ii) the objects of memory and iii) the metaphysics of Being in memory. All themes lend themselves for comparative analysis. The Form of Beauty is for Plato, and later for Plotinus not something immanently graspable. We need to go through some process, that is characterized as an ascent in order to attain it. Likewise, Augustine traverses memory in search of God, who is Beauty in an apparently similar fashion. Chapter 2 will engage with the structure of the ascent in order to answer the question whether Augustine views our reconciliation with God as a like-mannered ascent. In Chapter 3, another comparison is made, now on the subject of memory proper, specifically with regard to its function and objects. A classical text by Aristotle, De Memoria, although probably unknown to Augustine, offers nonetheless one of the most comprehensive competing theories on memory. The comparison sets out to establish the key differences between the texts, with which we can more firmly argue for Augustine’s originality. Finally, chapter 4 seeks out the “metaphysics” discussed in book X. Augustine addresses the Being of God in a distinctly Christian manner, which differs extensively from Plotinus’ metaphysical views on the One. The overall picture that emerges from this thesis is that book X of the Confessions contains persisting Neoplatonic traces that Augustine either incorporates into a Christian framework, or discontinues altogether in order to bring into light the Being of God. Memory is set at the core of human cognition, as the place that we traverse in search of God, and in which we predict, imagine, contemplate. In it we find memories that haunt us, but also those that bring delight and hope. Ultimately, happiness can only be attained beyond memory, by finding it in TruthShow less
Colour. A colour, the colour, any colour. Colour in everyday life. Coloured things that individuals use regularly. Colour on the walls, colour in the frames. Colour in the photographs. Colour on...Show moreColour. A colour, the colour, any colour. Colour in everyday life. Coloured things that individuals use regularly. Colour on the walls, colour in the frames. Colour in the photographs. Colour on the multiple screens. Colour in media and films. Furthermore, via things, colour has this potential to speak and evoke memory. In this thesis, I discuss how colour links with memory. More precisely, I analyse how coloured things work as memory’s mediators in two films: And the Wife shall Revere her Husband (1965), and The Red Balloon (1956). In the first case, I claim that coloured things can evoke memory, while in the second, how coloured things work as memes that create memory. In this process, my personal stories assisted me to approach colour in this way. Colours work within a network with their surroundings. In the following pages, I reflect on my own past experiences and I claim that colour and memory have an indisputable connection.Valuable theories and methods from different disciplines, such as media and film studies, sociology and philosophy, stand by my side in this journey. Colours are endless and constant. Without any further delay, allow me to remember and analyse moments through a rainbow costume, a homemade pie, a white hat, and a red balloon.Show less
In the following thesis, the following research question was analyzed What kind of images and representations regarding women were depicted through monuments in Flanders after (and during) the...Show moreIn the following thesis, the following research question was analyzed What kind of images and representations regarding women were depicted through monuments in Flanders after (and during) the First World War and why such depictions came to the existence? Through the means of the MCDA analysis, it was concluded that women are represented in the gendered terms in the literal and figurative terms. Women’s “feminine” traits and biological preconditions justify the notions of nationhood and the reasoning of the nation to enter the war, neglecting more accurate representation of the history and role of the women in the war.Show less
This thesis is focussing on the experiences and memories of the Chilean exiles created by the Pinochet regime and how they are represented in the memory culture and national story of Pinochet’s...Show moreThis thesis is focussing on the experiences and memories of the Chilean exiles created by the Pinochet regime and how they are represented in the memory culture and national story of Pinochet’s Chile from 1989 till 2017.Show less
This thesis demonstrates the value of using everyday material culture in producing exhibition narratives. This is done by an in depth analysis of one particular case study, “Sour Sweet Bitter Spicy...Show moreThis thesis demonstrates the value of using everyday material culture in producing exhibition narratives. This is done by an in depth analysis of one particular case study, “Sour Sweet Bitter Spicy: Stories of Chinese Food and Identity in America” by the Museum of Chinese in America (NY). The exhibition aimed at representing the multiplicity of Chinese cuisine in the States, as well as the discussions regarding the definition of authenticity in cuisine and more generally culture. The thesis interprets food first as a frame to identity, an example of Derriderean parergon: food both shapes and is shaped by cultural identity. Statements by chefs and home cooks who were interviewed for the exhibition are analysed in order to support this perspective. In a second moment, the thesis considers the materiality of food as the element which enables the visitor to establish, through synaesthesia, an empathic connection with the stories narrated in the museum. Overall, this thesis aims at enhancing the power of material culture in creating exhibitions which combine the theoretical and abstract with the physical reality which we perceive through our senses and bear great impact on our lives and our perception of the world.Show less
The thesis looks closer at vernacular photography, a record of the everyday created by common people, as one of the most common ways in which photographic images are created. By using the specific...Show moreThe thesis looks closer at vernacular photography, a record of the everyday created by common people, as one of the most common ways in which photographic images are created. By using the specific example of the family photographic collection of John “Zbyszek” Jagla, a Polish refugee born in Uganda, the thesis examines different dimensions of photographic meaning. The analysis draws on research from within the field of photographic theory and applies those theories and approaches to demonstrate the ways in which photographs carry their own meaning, both as images and as objects, and how that meaning changes not just over time but also depending on their context and who is viewing them and why.Show less
In this thesis, I have analysed the encoding of cultural attitudes in the translation of post-war retrospective fiction, as displayed in the speech and thought presentation of the characters in...Show moreIn this thesis, I have analysed the encoding of cultural attitudes in the translation of post-war retrospective fiction, as displayed in the speech and thought presentation of the characters in Erwin Mortier’s 1999 Flemish novel, Marcel. The novel contains a fascinating insight into the cultural attitudes of everyday Belgian citizens who collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. For the purposes of my research, I have used Antoine Berman’s 1985 model of translation tendencies in order to identify and subsequently analyse the effect of the process of translation on the representation of the cultural attitudes of the Belgian collaborators as displayed the English translation of the novel when juxtaposed with the original Flemish version of the novel. In my final analysis, I have both justified the importance of the source text over the translation in its irreplaceability with regard to the conveyance of cultural attitude. In addition to this, I have drawn fresh conclusions about the role and function of the translations of culturally-bound source texts. More specifically, I have highlighted the status of culturally-bound works of post-war fiction as foreign texts in their own right. In doing so, I have argued that these texts serve to make more explicit the cultural attitudes displayed in original works of post-war fiction.Show less
This dissertation considers Scotland's response to the 2007 bicentenary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, in the context of memory and museum studies. It considers to what degree...Show moreThis dissertation considers Scotland's response to the 2007 bicentenary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, in the context of memory and museum studies. It considers to what degree Scotland's response was aligned to an agenda of social justice - and how Scotland is slowly 'waking up' to its slavery past during a time of revived Scottish nationalism.Show less
