The fading affect bias in the context of emotion activation level, mood, and personal theories of emotion change.
The intensity of emotions associated with memory of pleasant events generally fades more slowly across time than the intensity of emotions associated with memory of unpleasant events, a phenomenon known as the fading affect bias (FAB). Four studies examined variables that might account for, or moderate, the bias. These included the activation level of the emotions, individual differences in dispositional mood, and participant expectations of emotion change across time. Results suggest that (a) although emotion activation level was related to overall fading of affect, it was unrelated to the FAB; (b) dispositional mood moderated the FAB, but could not fully account for it; and (c) although participants' predictions of event-related emotion change across time were somewhat veridical, the FAB emerged even when these predictions were accounted for statistically. Methodological and theoretical implications for research on the affect associated with autobiographical events are discussed.
Ritchie
Timothy
T
University of Southampton, Psychology Department, Southampton, UK. t.Ritchie@soton.ak.uk
Skowronski
John J
JJ
Hartnett
Jessica
J
Wells
Brett
B
Walker
W Richard
WR
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001290:Attitude; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005108:Extinction, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult