Which of the following is NOT a potential explanation of how emotion helps memory?

• A. Emotion increases physiological arousal, which can enhance memory consolidation.
• B. Emotion can focus attention on relevant details, improving encoding of information.
• C. Emotion leads to the release of stress hormones that can strengthen memory formation.
• D. Emotion causes people to ignore events, resulting in weaker memory for emotional experiences.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the role of emotion in memory by recognizing that emotions often enhance memory through physiological and cognitive mechanisms.
2. Step 2: Identify common explanations for how emotion helps memory, such as increased physiological arousal that enhances memory consolidation, focused attention improving encoding, and the release of stress hormones that strengthen memory formation.
3. Step 3: Analyze the given options and determine which one contradicts the typical effects of emotion on memory. Most explanations show emotion as enhancing memory, not weakening it.
4. Step 4: Recognize that the statement 'Emotion causes people to ignore events, resulting in weaker memory for emotional experiences' is inconsistent with the established understanding that emotion generally improves memory.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the correct answer is the option that suggests emotion weakens memory by causing people to ignore events, as this is NOT a potential explanation of how emotion helps memory.