Hello, future Psychologist! Today, we're diving into the fascinating realm of emotion, cognition, and memory. Picture this like a quirky trio of friends who can't function without each other, each bringing their unique twist to our daily life. Let's unwrap this, shall we?

Our emotions and thoughts aren't separate entities but rather dance together like a well-rehearsed duo in a ballet. This concept comes from a study by Schachter and Singer in 1962, who suggested cognitive appraisal (how we evaluate and interpret events) acts as a middleman between our bodily arousal (like a pounding heart) and the resulting emotional response (like feeling scared).

Imagine you're home alone, and you hear a strange noise. Your heart might start racing (physiological arousal), but it's your cognitive appraisal (is it just the wind or a burglar?) that will determine whether you end up scared or shrug it off.

Interestingly, Lazarus, another cool brainy guy, added to this in 1982. He proposed that sometimes, our cognitive appraisal might even jump the gun and happen before the physiological response. It's like hearing the strange noise and immediately assuming it's a ghost before your heart even gets a chance to race. Spooky, huh?

This relationship isn't just one-way; it's bidirectional. Emotion influences cognition just as cognition influences emotion. You've seen it when you get so angry that you can't think straight or so happy that you make silly mistakes.

Now, let's delve deeper into how emotions influence our cognition, specifically in memory processes.