Rosy memories: Mainly in autobiographical memory & particularly for self-relevant information, positive memory biases emerge from the operation of powerful mechanisms aimed at maintaining the individual’s well-being

Chapter 7 - A “rosy view” of the past: Positive memory biases. Orly Adler, Ainat Pansky. In Cognitive Biases in Health and Psychiatric Disorders - Neurophysiological Foundations. 2020, Pages 139-171. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-816660-4.00007-6

Abstract: The positivity bias in memory is a prevalent phenomenon. People tend to remember more pleasant than unpleasant events, to remember events more favorably than they actually were, and to view their past through rosy glasses overall. Apparent mainly in autobiographical memory and particularly for self-relevant information, positive memory biases emerge from the operation of powerful mechanisms aimed at maintaining the individual’s well-being. In the current chapter, we review these mechanisms and the various techniques by which they operate. Manifestation of the bias in clinical populations and the manner in which it is reflected in neural activations are described, alongside methodological limitations and directions for future research.

Check also The Many Faces of Forgetting: Toward a Constructive View of Forgetting in Everyday Life. Jonathan M.Fawcett, Justin C. Hulbert. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, January 21 2020. https://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2020/01/forgetfulness-contributes-to.html