Discussion experiment 2
We replicated our findings from Experiment 1, finding increased emotionality when
participants recalled autobiographical memories using mental imagery compared with when they
narrated them aloud. There was no evidence that this effect was due to demand
characteristics. At follow-up a day later, when participants were instructed to “think
about” each memory, emotionality was similar in each condition, suggesting no lasting impact
of image-based rather than verbal recollection. As in Experiment 1, there was inconclusive
evidence regarding any effect of recollection mode on negative and positive affect, either
immediately after recall or a day later. There was also inconclusive evidence of a
difference in availability of memories after image-based or verbal recall, in contrast to
previous research suggesting that imagery increases the intrusiveness of distressing
material (