![]() ![]() This definition should not be confused with other possible meanings of “emotional memory”: We define emotional memory as memory for a past event that elicited an emotional response. We end by identifying potential implications of this literature for broader topics related to mental wellbeing, education, and workplace environments. Here, we review the models that have been proposed to explain why emotional memories are long-lasting (durable) and likely to be retrieved (accessible), describing how in overlapping-but distinctly separable-ways, positive and negative memories can be easier to retrieve, and more likely to influence behavior. ![]() Yet the study of autobiographical memories has highlighted the importance of positive emotional memories, and more recently, cognitive neuroscience methods have begun to clarify why positive memories may show powerful relations to mental wellbeing. Research rooted in neuroscience and cognitive psychology has historically focused on memory for negative emotional content. In these regards, negative and positive memories can be especially powerful: Life’s highs and lows are disproportionately represented in memory, and when they are retrieved, they often impact our current mood and thoughts and influence various forms of behavior. The power of episodic memories is that they bring a past moment into the present, providing opportunities for us to recall details of the experiences, reframe or update the memory, and use the retrieved information to guide our decisions. ![]()
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