The Fading affect bias: But what the hell is it for?

SUMMARY This article reviews research examining the fading affect bias (FAB): The finding that the intensity of affect associated with negative autobiographical memories fades faster than affect associated with positive autobiographical memories. The FAB is a robust effect in autobiographical memory that has been replicated using a variety of methods and populations. The FAB is linked to both cognitive and social processes that support a positive view of the self. Accordingly, we speculate that one function of the FAB may be to induce individuals to be positive and action-oriented so that they may better face and master life challenges. Copyright # 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Baddeley (1988) challenged researchers in memory and cognition to explain any given phenomenon by answering a simple question: What the hell is for? The present article poses this question in relation to the fading affect bias (FAB). The FAB shows that the emotion associated with negative event memories generally fades faster than the emotion associated with positive event memories. This phenomenon has been well documented in several studies over the years, receiving the most intense scrutiny in the last decade. To better understand the possible functions of the FAB, this articlewill first review some of the classic perspectives on memory and emotion. Next, the article will provide a review of some the relevant research documenting this phenomenon, including research that describes factors that both strengthen and weaken the FAB. Finally, this article will consider the adaptive value of changes in the emotions that accompany autobiographical memories.

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