Haptic Sensations Modulate Judgment of Words that Elicit Self‐referent Memory

Abstract

Previous studies have reported that soft haptic sensations influence higher‐order cognition, but few studies have investigated effects of soft haptic sensations on the recall of episodic memories. The present study examined whether or not holding a soft object influences the recall of episodes. Participants held either a soft or hard cushion and performed tasks in which they recalled episodic memories. On each trial, a pleasant or unpleasant trait word was presented. In Experiment 1, the participants judged whether or not the word elicited an autobiographical memory. In Experiment 2, the participants judged whether or not the word elicited a memory of an episode involving their caregiver. In Experiment 1, the number of self‐referent judgments for unpleasant words was smaller when participants held a soft cushion than when they held a hard cushion. In Experiment 2, holding soft or hard cushions had no significant effect on the number of caregiver‐referent judgments. These results suggest that effects of soft haptic sensations on the recall of positive and negative autobiographical memories are asymmetrical.