Previous research has repeatedly illustrated the beneficial influence of sleep on memory processes. Further, evidence has demonstrated the power of sexual valance to enhance memory for certain types of stimuli. The present study investigated the possible interaction effect between sleep and sexual valance on recollection memory in 44 undergraduate and graduate student participants at Eastern Kentucky University, based upon a method by Alger, Lau, & Fishbein (2012); however, in the current study, recollection memory items were words received audibly rather than visually. Behavioral data, electroencephalography (EEG), and skin conductance data was collected to assess memory performance, sleep progress, autonomic nervous system activity, and sleep-related behavior. Results indicated a significant interaction effect between condition (sleep/awake) and image type (sexual/nonsexual): words paired with sexual images were best recalled by sleep participants, while awake participants recalled nonsexual images better than sexual images.
","abstract_html":"<p>Previous research has repeatedly illustrated the beneficial influence of sleep on memory processes. Further, evidence has demonstrated the power of sexual valance to enhance memory for certain types of stimuli. The present study investigated the possible interaction effect between sleep and sexual valance on recollection memory in 44 undergraduate and graduate student participants at Eastern Kentucky University, based upon a method by Alger, Lau, & Fishbein (2012); however, in the current study, recollection memory items were words received audibly rather than visually. Behavioral data, electroencephalography (EEG), and skin conductance data was collected to assess memory performance, sleep progress, autonomic nervous system activity, and sleep-related behavior. Results indicated a significant interaction effect between condition (sleep/awake) and image type (sexual/nonsexual): words paired with sexual images were best recalled by sleep participants, while awake participants recalled nonsexual images better than sexual images. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Renfro, Amanda Gale"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Master's","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:32Z","subjects":["Recollection Memory","Sex","Sleep","Cognitive Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2015 Amanda Gale Renfro"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/310","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Renfro, Amanda Gale"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Recollection Memory","Sex","Sleep","Cognitive Psychology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2015 Amanda Gale Renfro"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/310"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Previous research has repeatedly illustrated the beneficial influence of sleep on memory processes. Further, evidence has demonstrated the power of sexual valance to enhance memory for certain types of stimuli. The present study investigated the possible interaction effect between sleep and sexual valance on recollection memory in 44 undergraduate and graduate student participants at Eastern Kentucky University, based upon a method by Alger, Lau, & Fishbein (2012); however, in the current study, recollection memory items were words received audibly rather than visually. Behavioral data, electroencephalography (EEG), and skin conductance data was collected to assess memory performance, sleep progress, autonomic nervous system activity, and sleep-related behavior. Results indicated a significant interaction effect between condition (sleep/awake) and image type (sexual/nonsexual): words paired with sexual images were best recalled by sleep participants, while awake participants recalled nonsexual images better than sexual images.
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["What Happened Last Night? Sleep, Sex, and Recollection"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Renfro, Amanda Gale"],"dc:description.abstract":["Previous research has repeatedly illustrated the beneficial influence of sleep on memory processes. Further, evidence has demonstrated the power of sexual valance to enhance memory for certain types of stimuli. The present study investigated the possible interaction effect between sleep and sexual valance on recollection memory in 44 undergraduate and graduate student participants at Eastern Kentucky University, based upon a method by Alger, Lau, & Fishbein (2012); however, in the current study, recollection memory items were words received audibly rather than visually. Behavioral data, electroencephalography (EEG), and skin conductance data was collected to assess memory performance, sleep progress, autonomic nervous system activity, and sleep-related behavior. Results indicated a significant interaction effect between condition (sleep/awake) and image type (sexual/nonsexual): words paired with sexual images were best recalled by sleep participants, while awake participants recalled nonsexual images better than sexual images.
"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/310"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2015 Amanda Gale Renfro"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["Recollection Memory","Sex","Sleep","Cognitive Psychology"],"dc:title":["What Happened Last Night? Sleep, Sex, and Recollection"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:32Z"}