Predicting the likelihood and amount of fading, fixed, flourishing, and flexible positive and negative affect of autobiographical memories.

The emotions attributed to an event can change from occurrence to recall. Autobiographical memories (AMs) exhibit fixed affect (i.e., no change in emotionality), fading affect (i.e., a decrease in emotional intensity), flourishing affect (i.e., an increase in emotional intensity), and flexible affect (i.e., change of valence). Mixed-effects multinomial models were used to predict the likelihood of the different affect change categories. Mixed-effects regression models were used to predict the amount of emotional change within each category. Predictors at the event-level were initial intensity, social rehearsal, and recall frequency. Predictors at the participant-level were components of subjective wellbeing. Analyses were based on 1,748 AMs reported by 117 young participants in response to 16 event cues. Frequency biases, and biases in the amount of change across positive and negative emotionality, were found for all types of emotional change. Specifically, there was more fading of negative (29.98%) than positive affect (11.90%), more flourishing of positive (34.27%) than negative affect (9.61%), and more AMs changing from negative to positive valence (13.33%) than vice versa (3.95%). These biases were also evident in the amount of change within the categories. Moreover, slightly more AMs remained fixed in positive (49.89%) than negative affect (47.08%). Both event and participant level predictors were significantly associated with the likelihood of different affect change categories and the amount of emotional change within the categories. The present findings highlight the importance of considering the different ways in which AMs change emotionally from occurrence to later recall.

Can perceived changes in autobiographical memories' emotionality be explained by memory characteristics and individual differences?

Recalling autobiographical memories (AMs) is closely tied to emotional experience. However, the emotionality associated with an event can change from occurrence to recall. Autobiographical memories show fixed affect (i.e., no change in emotionality), fading affect (i.e., decrease in emotional intensity), flourishing affect (i.e., increase in emotional intensity), and flexible affect (i.e., change of valence). The present study used mixed-effects multinomial models to predict perceived changes in positive and negative valence as well as intensity. Initial intensity, vividness, and social rehearsal were entered into the models as event level predictor variables, whereas rumination and reflection were entered into the models as participant level predictor variables. Analyses were based on 3950 AMs reported by 352 participants (18-92 years old) in response to 12 emotional cue-words. Participants rated the emotionality of each memory from the perspective of event occurrence and event recall. Only the predictors on the event level meaningfully distinguished between memories that stayed fixed in affect and memories that showed fading, flourishing, or flexible affect (R² values ranging from .24 to .65). The present results highlight the importance of considering different aspects of AMs and the ways they change emotionally to fully understand emotional experiencing in autobiographical memory.

The valence and the functions of autobiographical memories: Does intensity matter?

Autobiographical memories serve psychosocial functions in daily life and the use of memories is related to their valence. In the present study, we examined whether functions are also related to the intensity of positive and negative memories. Our sample included 110 participants (57-89 years of age). Memories were prompted with 30 emotionally neutral cue words. Participants rated the emotional quality of each memory and indicated how frequently they had recalled it for self-continuity, directing behavior, social-bonding, and mood-enhancement. We used multilevel modeling to test whether individual differences in the use of memories can explain why individuals recall different numbers of positive and negative memories as well as memories high or low in intensity. Each function revealed its specific pattern regarding valence and intensity but also regarding within-person and between-person effects. Mood-enhancement showed the strongest relations, which points to the importance of considering emotion regulation as a function of autobiographical memory.

Age-related differences in trait affect: Establishing measurement invariance of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS).

The present study examined trajectories of trait positive and trait negative affect as measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule across the lifespan. Increasing levels of measurement invariance of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule were tested across a wide age range (18-99 years of age; 10 age groups) in a large sample (N = 3,309; 65.82% women; 74.22% with a university entrance diploma; 92.23% with German as their mother tongue). Strong invariance was established so that the latent factor means of positive and negative affect could be meaningfully compared across age groups. Age had a small effect on positive affect, which showed a reversed U-shaped function with a maximum between the ages of 40 and 50. For negative affect, there was a strong cubic age effect. Specifically, negative affect decreased until about the age of 70 and then increased again. We also found a negative covariance between positive and negative affect, which first increased slightly and then decreased across age groups until becoming positive in the oldest age group. In summary, the present study supports previous findings on age trajectories of positive and negative affect but also highlights the importance of testing for measurement invariance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).