https://viralrecall.org/audioexhibit daily 1.0 2022-05-28 https://viralrecall.org/experimentdesign daily 0.75 2021-09-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/604ced9bfdd7a73331eae600/1619228349354-DAT26M69N5EV6BU08TN4/brain2.jpg Experiment Design - Is storytelling the key to gaining agency over our response to our memories? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/604ced9bfdd7a73331eae600/1619235811501-3MHZ5WL73WZW22C8J5BA/heart1.jpg Experiment Design https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/604ced9bfdd7a73331eae600/1619236180345-MIIB7JQUMMK2LL0YZRTN/.jpg Experiment Design https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/604ced9bfdd7a73331eae600/1619236631887-BJPT7WJJ32ZO39LO819P/stressfinal.jpg Experiment Design https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/604ced9bfdd7a73331eae600/1619238391884-VOCYH2T4VMC9BUG7R3ZR/Poster2_JPEG.jpg Experiment Design - Participants were asked to silently recall a stressful, pandemic-related memory. They were then asked to re-structure that memory into a verbal story, and to recall it once more afterwards. During each memory recall, the participants’ heart rate and skin conductance response were recorded to determine their overall stress levels. They were also asked to self-report their perceived stress levels during each memory recall. https://viralrecall.org/statistics daily 0.75 2021-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/604ced9bfdd7a73331eae600/ccfc28a2-7dac-4c75-ba58-9e369e313930/control_pre_post.png Statistics This line graph depicts the combined three data points for each skin conductance measurement (control = black, pre-story = green, post-story = blue) per respective participant. The y-axis displays stress events that occurred over the two-minute measurement period, while the x-axis denotes participant number. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/604ced9bfdd7a73331eae600/b95d94e0-d48b-404c-a711-addcad6a4042/control_prestory.png Statistics This line graph depicts the data points for each participants' control (light green) and pre-story (dark green) skin conductance measurement. The y-axis shows the number of stress events that occurred over the two-minute measurement period, while the x-axis denotes each participant by number. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/604ced9bfdd7a73331eae600/f33430bc-b72f-4668-bea5-6e07c5875259/control_poststory.png Statistics This line graph depicts the data points for each participants' control (dark blue) and post-story (light blue) skin conductance measurement. The y-axis shows the number of stress events that occurred over the two-minute measurement period, while the x-axis denotes each participant by number. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/604ced9bfdd7a73331eae600/7dd0564d-ad9d-445f-bc5f-1a0914e84683/perceivedstress.jpg Statistics Participants were asked to rate their perceived stress levels after each memory recall (pre-story and post-story). This bar graph shows how many participants reported a change in perceived stress levels, and whether they experienced more or less stress upon their second memory recall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/604ced9bfdd7a73331eae600/027d1c01-2d54-4aad-b9af-1accf5e4befd/heartrate.png Statistics This line graph depicts the combined three data points for each heart rate measurement (control = green, pre-story = blue, post-story = yellow) per respective participant. The y-axis displays average heart rate in BPM over the two-minute measurement period, while the x-axis denotes participant number. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/604ced9bfdd7a73331eae600/1617570612992-QLIKWG1S6YTHWCZVHXJR/story_wordcloud2.jpg Statistics - Make it stand out. words belong here https://viralrecall.org/about daily 0.75 2026-02-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/604ced9bfdd7a73331eae600/fb4329d2-9a60-432d-a952-eab57b24b1dc/lunchbuddy_davyfalconi.jpg About - More About Me & The Project: Francesca Davy-Falconi The idea for my keystone project came to be during my junior year, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It was Spring of 2020, and while I knew that I wanted my project to be focused on neuroscience and storytelling, I wasn’t sure how to unite the two. It occurred to me that memory might be the bridge between neuroscience and storytelling, and what could be more memorable than the COVID-19 pandemic? Studies have demonstrated that recalling a positive memory can lower stress levels to baseline under stress conditions, and to below baseline under normal conditions (Speer et al, 2017). My question became the following: what happens if we recall a stressful memory, but consciously re-frame it into a verbal story? How might that alter our physiological response to the memory?