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Colloquium credits

Presentatie Masterthese - Levi Barbier - Klinische Psychologie

Colloquium credits

Presentatie Masterthese - Levi Barbier - Klinische Psychologie

Last modified on 20-12-2024 16:11
Navigating Emotional Memory: The Impact of Depressive Tendencies on Memory Updating Processes
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Start date
06-02-2025 11:00
End date
06-02-2025 12:00
Location

Roeterseilandcampus, gebouw: G, straat: nieuwe achtergracht 129-b, zaal: GS.08

Memory enables us to store, retain, and retrieve information from past life events. It plays a vital role in our everyday lives, allowing us to build on past knowledge, learn from experiences, make decisions, and interact with the world around us. Certain memories have a way of standing out, frequently surfacing with vividness, while others fade into the background. Those tied to strong emotions often rise to the surface more effortlessly, leaving a lasting imprint compared to memories without emotional significance. However, there are asymmetries in how positive and negative events are experienced. Negative memories appear to be particularly resilient, as people often recall sad experiences more frequently than happy ones. As Baumeister and colleagues (2001) highlight in their review ‘Bad Is Stronger than Good’, the human mind is predisposed to place greater emphasis on the negative experiences than positive ones, with individuals reacting more intensely to losses than to gains. This imbalance stems from evolutionary survival mechanisms, where negative experiences, such as threats or losses, demand greater attention and stronger reactions to promote survival. Consequently, positive memories may fade more quickly or be overshadowed by negative ones, which persist in influencing emotional well-being. But how do we understand the mechanisms behind this imbalance, and what factors influence the retention and prominence of positive versus negative memories?