Fading affect bias
The fading affect bias, more commonly known as FAB, is a psychological phenomenon in which memories associated with negative emotions tend to be forgotten more quickly than those associated with positive emotions. It is important to note that FAB only refers to the feelings one has associated with the memories and not the content of the memories themselves. Early research studied FAB retrospectively, or through personal reflection, which brought about some criticism because retrospective analysis can be affected by subjective retrospective biases. However, new research using non-retrospective recall studies have found evidence for FAB., and the phenomenon has become largely accepted.
Description and background
Some of the earliest evidence for the Fading Affect Bias dates back to a study by. Cason did a study using a retrospective procedure where participants recalled and rated past events and emotion when prompted found that recalled emotional intensity for positive events was generally stronger than that of negative events.Landau and Gunter showed that the FAB occurs regardless of whether the experience is shared between one person or a group of people that share that memory. People’s recall of an event, the negative affective quality of the event can lesson. And the fading affect bias can have an effect on the memory.
Initially, the Fading Affect Bias was widely accepted as the process whereby the emotional valence of certain events fades over time. More specifically, early researchers largely believed that there was a general fading over time of emotional content and intensity in relation to specific life events, regardless of whether the experiences were positive or negative. However, later studies found emotional intensity of negative events to dissipate at a faster rate than positively perceived events. Furthermore, not only are the negative emotions toward the event fading over time, but the ability to recall the negative event memory fades overtime as well. Growing evidence has also acknowledged the tendency for originally negative events to shift overtime and be viewed in a more positive way. The FAB exists universally across cultures, and increases in intensity as we age.
Due to the fading of negative event memories, the autobiographical memory of an individual is skewed in a positive light. The FAB is an essential counterpart to the positive affect bias, as it allows and promotes the salience of positive emotional memories. It also plays an important role in positive personal event memory trends essential to the Pollyanna Principle.
Views opposing the FAB concern the idea that negative memories and negative experiences are more salient than positive ones and therefore negative memories would not be subject to recall fading. The first opposing idea is based on the "bad is stronger than good" theory, and is therefore more salient, in terms of affective fading. This view contrary to fading affect bias argues that due to the nature of the self, we are more inclined to focus on and remember negative events. This theory focuses on the belief that human nature is based around negative experiences, memories, and emotions. These are more shaping than all others in regard to the hedonistic view. Those that came up with the “bad is stronger than good” theory talk about how nature itself has been shaped by negative experiences. Things that are better attuned to negative things are also more adaptive and able to survive better. This effect can feed into every aspect of life. Yet, despite this theory, research has also shown that people often recall positive events more often and clearly than negative events, which opposes the idea that “bad is stronger than good”.
Another opposing idea to fading affect bias stems from the Freudian theory of repression, that in order for repression to occur, the negative emotion associated with the traumatic event would have to remain. The diminishing of these memories via FAB could possibly make repression incapable of occurring. However there is little empirical evidence for the Freudian concept of repression and the growing body of evidence seems to solidify the existence of the FAB.
Research history
Criticism of the study centered around the fact that retrospective and introspective procedures could be subject to memory biases. A later study—Holmes —took a "non-introspective" approach to studying FAB using a record of diary events that included the emotional intensity of the event. Twenty-six subjects were told to record events in a diary and record the emotional intensities of the experiences. Results from these studies were found to be generally consistent with FAB.A study by discussed the role which memory plays in FAB using diary recording to analyze cognitive processes. Here, it is stated that human beings are preferential in what they select to remember and that certain particulars of events fade, but not emotions. This study found that emotions prompted by positive events were more likely to last than those prompted by negative occurrences.
used subject's personal responses to 1200 autobiographical events to study the Fading Affect Bias. In this study, four possible trends were found regarding memory: the Fixed Affect, the Fading Affect, the Flourishing Affect, and the Flexible Affect. For positive recollections, the Fixed Affect was more prominent than the Fading Affect. However, for negative occurrences, the Fading Affect was more prominent than the Fixed Affect. Reiterating the bias towards the fading of negative memories.
In addition to the aforementioned psychological studies, related neurobiological studies were conducted that could possibly further explain the phenomenon of FAB. During an interview, neurobiologist Matt Wilson detailed that in studying the brain activity of rats it was found that the remembrance of past events and the anticipation of future events seemed to be linked neurologically. This is a possible implication of why FAB exists: the human need to catalog relevant information to be used in the future.
Memory types
FAB is most commonly observed in autobiographical event memories, however it has been explored across different memory types.Flashbulb memories
A study by Bohn & Berntsen used the falling of the Berlin Wall to observe how the FAB affects flashbulb memories. East and West Germans were asked to rate their feelings toward the fall of the Berlin Wall when it happened and their current feelings towards the event. They found that individuals with positive feelings towards the event, at the time of the event, maintained their positive feelings at time of recall. Those who viewed the fall of The Wall as negative had less negative emotions attached to the event at time of recall. The salience of FAB outside of autobiographical event recall, such as flashbulb memory recall, strengthens the argument for this phenomenon being universal.Something else to note that was found in this study was when looking at flashbulb memories there is the person tendency to indulge the memory or not. When asked to focus on a positive flashbulb memory the person tended to re-immerse themselves into the memory and the memories were seen as shaping parts of their lives. The accuracy of these memories was susceptible to change as they reconstructed in their minds. When asked to focus on a negative flashbulb memory the person would not have this immersion as they did not want to associate as much with these negative experiences. However, the accuracy's of the memories was far higher. FAB is thought to have a significant effect on how these memories are maintained within the mind.
Dreams
Ritchie & Skowronski asked individuals to keep dream journals in which they rated their feelings about their dreams when they happened and were later asked to recall how they felt about those same dreams. In line with previous findings about the nature of the FAB and autobiographical memory, positive affect at time of occurrence and at time of recall decreased slower than that of negative affect. An interesting finding in this study was that the FAB was mitigated by the use of recreational drugs.Moderating factors
Social moderators
Rehearsal
Sharing and repeating one's memories with others can effectively change ones perception of the memory and the emotions attached to it. Frequently sharing memories with others can increase recall of positive event memories and effectively decrease negative event memories, thus promoting positive event memory recall. To amplify effects of the FAB, frequent, repeated, social disclosure of event memories, perceived as social support is integral. Overall, the sharing of events with others can positively influence the way an individual remembers events, however self-rehearsal does not yield the same results, as it is linked to a lack of affective fading overall. Self rehearsal can allow the subject to maintain the vividness of both positive and negative of the memory. The effect that rehearsal has on FAB can also possibly be explained by the relationship between event rehearsal and memory retainment and vividnessPersonality moderators
AnxietyFAB’s effectiveness can be affected by anxiety. Depending on the amount of anxiety a person is experiencing the effectiveness of FAB can be reduced. Increased levels of anxiety lowered FAB for both positive and negative events. This has been found in multiple studies showing anxiety has a powerful effect on FAB. Those with higher anxiety seem to show that increased levels of anxiety may produce a greater sense of awareness that amplify the emotional aspects of their memory of an event.
Something to consider from these findings is that those that suffer from anxiety report more emotional experiences, and a poorer understanding of their own emotions. These people recall experiences with more emotion than was originally there but struggle to define those emotions within the memory. Studies have looked at this in relation to those with trait anxiety who are stuck in a state of anticipating a threat whether real or perceived. Other studies have shown that individuals that suffer with higher levels of anxiety do not have to be consciously aware that perceived threats are distracting them and creating more anxiety for themselves. Those experiencing higher levels of anxiety seem to experience these affects more than others, which likely affects how they experience the world and how they recall autobiographical memories.