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Arousal and cognition: The stimulation-seeking motive and structural effects in the comprehension of film

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Abstract

The authors present a study of comprehension as a function of the stimulation-seeking motive in relation to the degree of structure involved in information presented in film. While no significant effects were obtained in measuring comprehension of verbal and pictorial stimuli and literal and inferential processing, the stimulation-seeking motive may have had a moderating effect on the relationship among memory or information-processing systems. This would indicate possible differential-encoding or information-processing strategies between individuals high and low in the stimulation-seeking motive.

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Reference Notes

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Braverman, M.T., Farley, F.H. Arousal and cognition: The stimulation-seeking motive and structural effects in the comprehension of film. ECTJ 26, 321–327 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02766368

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