In terms of past romances, good memories may be beaten by the bad.
The fading affect bias (FAB) is thought to make the negative emotions associated with memories fade faster than positive ones, which in turn, may help us more readily forget bad experiences. A team from the UK and US asked more than 200 individuals to describe events from a current or former relationship and how remembering the romance made them feel now. Less than 50 per cent of the group chose memories from their current romance, and the positive memories were found to be stronger on average than their negative ones. Both nonsexual memories and sexual memories showed the FAB. The FAB was found to emerge for memories of current relationships, but not for memories of past failed relationships. Interestingly, the bias was found for securely attached individuals, but not for those with other attachment styles. Overall, the study found that negative emotions were more likely to be sustained if the individual felt insecure about the relationship. In addition, the FAB was moderated by relationship quality, a need to belong, sexual esteem and sexual depression.
doi.org/10.1002/acp.3527
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