The Fading Affect Bias

Whether it be through fond recollections of one’s childhood or binging nostalgic movies, we tend to romanticize the past, often remembering events more positively than they actually were. This is due to a cognitive bias known as the fading affect bias, which causes negative emotional responses to be forgotten much more rapidly than positive emotional responses associated with a memory. With the passage of time, the intensity of our emotional responses to events tend to change. They can remain the same (fixed affect), reduce in intensity (fading affect), increase in intensity (flourishing affect), or even switch valence (flexible affect). While recalling negative events, the fading affect dominates. Intuitively, it seems that vividly remembering past negative experiences would help us avoid similar situations in the future, so why do we tend to view the past through a rose colored lens?

First, the fading affect bias promotes an optimistic view of the world, enabling individuals to focus their attention on the future. In a paper analyzing the causes of a strong fading affect, W. Richard Walker and John J. Skowronski discuss how reinforcing positive memories preserves positivity in recalling past events, leading to a more positive outlook on life. However, reinforcing negative emotions from the past places an emotional burden on individuals, and this mentality may make it harder to focus on the present and future. In a 2009 study addressed in the paper, participants completed a survey to determine if they were more past-oriented, present-oriented, or future-oriented. They then rated the past and current pleasantness associated with a memory, indicating how strong their fading affect bias is. Individuals who focused more on the present and future tended to show stronger fading affect bias than people who were more past-oriented.

The fading affect bias is also advantageous as it can play a role in preventing individuals from developing conditions such as depression. A study of undergraduate students at the University of Kansas asked students to rate the pleasantness of an event at the time of occurrence, and again rate the event’s pleasantness after a specific period of time. On average, students with dysphoria—a state of unease associated with many mental health disorders—recalled the emotions associated with unpleasant events even after a long period of time, indicating that these students had a weaker fading affect bias than students without dysphoria. The link between a weak fading affect bias and depression and dysphoria indicates the advantage that the fading affect bias may provide individuals with, allowing one’s past experiences to shape a positive perception of the future.

Furthermore, social connections may be strengthened by the fading affect. Individuals with a positive outlook on the future are more socially adaptive because they are more open to forming social connections. Maintaining a generally steady and positive emotional state helps a person effectively cope with new experiences by reinterpreting them, allowing them to effectively navigate the social world. The fading affect bias helps people reevaluate the emotional significance of their experiences—something which can be strengthened through social interaction.

Memories that are shared socially tend to display stronger fading affect bias compared to memories that are less often shared. Although the exact cause isn’t conclusively known, this is likely because narrating stories socially helps people to reinterpret or cope with negative past events. In a 2004 study, participants shared emotional memories with different groups of audiences. Individuals who had shared their memories with a more diverse group of audiences rated their emotional responses to an event after a period of time much less severely than those who shared their emotional memories with a less diverse group of people, indicating that sharing memories with a more diverse audience strengthened fading affect bias. Sharing memories, especially negative ones, and receiving feedback and sympathy in a social setting may help individuals cope with memories and reinterpret them, strengthening the fading affect of these memories.

While the fading affect bias provides individuals with many adaptive advantages in navigating society and preparing for the future, there are risks associated with a strong fading affect bias. The fading affect bias can reinforce several maladaptive behaviors. For example, an alcoholic may struggle to find motivation to quit drinking if most of the memories associated with drinking that they recall are positive, and an individual may return to an abusive relationship immediately after leaving. 

In these situations, it becomes important to understand and develop strategies to overcome the potential consequences of the fading affect bias. A common method that one can use for overcoming fading affect bias when recovering from an addiction or an unhealthy relationship is recording their experiences. Creating a pros and cons list for a behavior one wants to stop can help reinforce objectives and prevent relapsing. Recovering addicts can even use the fading affect bias to their advantage by seeking out a community of others who are struggling with recovery. Communicating one’s struggles in a social environment can strengthen the fading affect associated with the recovery process and help individuals break a cycle of addiction. 

While the fading affect bias has many adaptive advantages, helping us reevaluate our past negative experiences and approach the future more positively, it’s important to recognize the situations in which the fading affect bias can prevent us from achieving our goals. When ending a harmful activity or leaving a relationship, it’s important for people to create a support system for themselves rather than trying to rely on the negative emotional impact of their past experiences. An understanding of the mechanisms through which the fading affect bias interacts with our memories can help us develop strategies to more effectively use or counter the fading affect bias to our advantage.