The “E” in our acronym “CROME” reminds us that our emotional state impacts what and how we remember.
Emotions release glucose and adrenaline; both have a positive impact on memory and recall. Emotional events get preferential encoding. The correlation is strong between how vivid a memory is and how emotional the event was. When we are in a positive emotional state and our amygdala is resting, the prefrontal cortex is able to do its best and most focused work.
Dr. Rhoda Wolle is the Dean of Student Success and an Associate Professor of Education at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee. She teaches Educational Psychology in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. She received her BS in Secondary Education from Martin Luther College, New Ulm, MN. She was awarded an MA in Education, with special emphasis on students at risk, from Marian University, Fond du Lac, WI. She earned her PhD in Educational Psychology from Capella University in Minneapolis, MN. Dr. Wolle has spoken internationally to thousands of educators, parents, and teens on the topic of education. She is a member of St. Lucas Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, music, reading, sports, golf, sailing, and walking her dog, Kipper.
