Becoming aware of an authentic historic place: effects on affective and cognitive outcomes

The present study addressed the effects of becoming aware of being at an authentic historic place both on affective reactions and acquisition of information about the relevant historic events. The study was conducted in a research institute located in a former National Socialist (NS) clinic, thus holding an authentic historic dimension, while at the same time, the building’s physical attributes do not resemble its history anymore. This allowed us to manipulate the participants’ awareness of being at an authentic historic place via systematic variation of prior information (neutral information about the building, general information about a historic event, information about the authenticity of the place regarding the historic event). After receiving prior information, participants had to indicate their emotional valence and arousal. They were then shown a set of photographs related to the relevant historical period or to another unrelated period in randomized order and, after a filler task, were given a memory test of the photographs. Afterwards, participants rated the study room regarding its valence and evoking arousal. It was found that awareness of being at an authentic place had a negative effect on personal mood. Furthermore, the site itself was perceived less positively when participants were aware of its NS history. However, no differences in memory performance of relevant photos were found due to history awareness. The findings indicate that being at an authentic historic place does not necessarily imply a better acquisition of relevant historical knowledge.