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Reframing the Past: Role of Memory Processes in Emotion Regulation

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Abstract

Background

The ability to modulate undesirable emotions is essential for maintaining mental health. Negative emotions can arise both while experiencing and remembering an unpleasant event, which presents a persistent emotion regulation challenge because emotional memories tend to be particularly vivid and enduring. Despite the central role that memories play in our affective lives, little is known about the memory processes supporting successful regulation of emotions associated with long-term memories, which we refer to as retrospective emotion regulation.

Methods

In this paper, we review the literature on the mechanisms of memory modification, which may contribute to the success of retrospective emotion regulation. In particular, we review rodent and human studies that examine the modification of conditioned fear associations and emotional episodic memories.

Conclusions

Based on this literature, we conclude that memory reactivation plays a crucial role in memory modification. We discuss further the potential role of memory reactivation in mediating the success of cognitive reappraisal, which may be considered a special case of memory modification. We propose that the completeness, or strength, of reactivation during retrospective emotion regulation will be related to the likelihood of updating an episodic memory, reducing its emotional impact upon later recall. Understanding the role of memory processes in emotion regulation can help to inform research on memory-based treatments for affective disorders.

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Funding

This work was supported in part by the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation NARSAD Young Investigator Grant.

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  1. Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA

    Rosalie Samide & Maureen Ritchey

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  1. Rosalie Samide
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  2. Maureen Ritchey
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Correspondence to Rosalie Samide or Maureen Ritchey.

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Samide, R., Ritchey, M. Reframing the Past: Role of Memory Processes in Emotion Regulation. Cogn Ther Res 45, 848–857 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-020-10166-5

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