Emojis influence autobiographical memory retrieval from reading words: An fMRI-based study

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234104
• Publication Date: 2020-07-01T17:31:55Z
• Authors: Christos Chatzich...; Manuel Morante; Nikolaos Andreadis; Eleftherios Kofidis; Yiannis Kopsinis; Sergios Theodoridis
• Keywords: Autobiographical Memory

Advances in computer and communications technology have deeply affected the way we communicate. Social media emerged as a major means of human communication. However, limitation such is lack non-verbal stimuli, which sometimes hinders understanding message, particular associated emotional content. In an effort to compensate for this, people started use emoticons, are combinations keyboard characters that resemble facial expressions, more recently their evolution: emojis, namely, small colorful images faces, actions daily life objects. This paper presents evidence effect emojis on memory retrieval through functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) study. A total number fifteen healthy volunteers were recruited experiment, during successive stimuli presented, containing words with intense content combined either congruent or incongruent Volunteers asked recall related stimulus. The study reaction times showed incongruity among word+emoji led longer compared combinations. General Linear Model (GLM) Blind Source Separation (BSS) methods been tested assessing influence process retrieval. analysis fMRI data activated Broca's area (BA44 BA45) both hemispheres, Supplementary Motor Area (SMA) inferior prefrontal cortex (BA47), Furthermore, pseudowords, left BA45), amygdala, right temporal pole (BA48) several frontal regions including SMA cortex.