Table 2.

Memory for emotional items comparing instances when the background was remembered to when it was forgotten, i.e., remembering item and background, or selective item memory

	Item and background remembered^a			Item remembered and background forgotten^a			Incidence of selective item memory^b
	Positive	Negative	Neutral	Positive	Negative	Neutral	Positive	Negative	Neutral
Young adults
M (SE)	15.05 (1.14)	14.16 (1.31)	14.11 (1.18)	10.16 (1.04)	11.05 (0.96)	7.32 (0.76)	0.41 (0.04)	0.45 (0.04)	0.36 (0.04)
Older adults
M (SE)	10.44 (1.44)	8.72 (1.45)	9.61 (1.07)	10.72 (0.85)	9.83 (1.09)	8.67 (1.03)	0.54 (0.05)	0.56 (0.05)	0.48 (0.04)
t (p)	2.53 (0.02)^*	2.78 (0.009)^*	2.82 (0.008)^*	0.42 (0.68)	0.84 (0.41)	1.07 (0.29)	2.05 (0.05)^*	1.68 (0.10)	2.15 (0.04)^*

Key: M, mean; SE, standard error.

Out of a maximum of 30 in each scene type.

Incidence of selective item memory = item remembered and background forgotten/(item and background remembered + item remembered and background forgotten).

p ≤ .05