Objectives

When facing daily negative events, people implement different strategies to regulate ongoing emotions. While the literature suggests that the emotional correlates of an event (i.e., valence and arousal) are linked to the characteristics of its memory, the role of acceptance as an emotion regulation strategy (i.e., an open attitude towards one’s emotional experiences, thoughts, and/or bodily sensations without attempts to control, avoid, or alter them) in mnemonic processes is still largely unknown. The aim of this study was to ecologically explore the effect of using acceptance to deal with a daily unpleasant episode on its subsequent memory

Method

We used an ecological assessment embeded in correlational study design, asking participants (n = 73) to report an unpleasant episode using their smartphone as soon as possible after its occurrence and rate the momentary use of acceptance. To investigate memory phenomenology, two surprise recall tasks were performed 1 week and 1 month after, respectively.

Results

Acceptance significantly moderated the relationship between an event’s emotional intensity and its memory. Specifically, individuals with low levels of acceptance tended to recall more details of highly emotional events. Conversely, people adopting high rates of acceptance retrieved less details as the emotional intensity of the event increased.

Conclusions

We suggest that acceptance may facilitate disengagement from unpleasant life experiences by reducing their recall, thereby constituting an adaptive emotion regulation strategy in activating circumstances.

Preregistration

This study was not preregistered.

中文翻译：

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回忆艰难时期：探索日常生活中接受对自传体记忆的影响

目标

当面对日常负面事件时，人们会采取不同的策略来调节持续的情绪。虽然文献表明事件的情绪相关性（即效价和唤醒度）与其记忆的特征有关，但接受作为情绪调节策略的作用（即对一个人的情绪体验、思想和情感持开放态度）在助记过程中（或不试图控制、避免或改变它们的身体感觉）仍然很大程度上是未知的。本研究的目的是从生态角度探讨使用接受来处理日常不愉快事件对其后续记忆的影响

方法

我们使用了相关研究设计中嵌入的生态评估，要求参与者（n  = 73）在发生不愉快的事件后尽快使用智能手机报告事件，并评估暂时使用的接受程度。为了研究记忆现象学，分别在 1 周和 1 个月后进行了两次意外回忆任务。

结果

接受度显着调节了事件的情绪强度与其记忆之间的关系。具体来说，接受度较低的人往往会回忆起高度情绪化事件的更多细节。相反，随着事件的情绪强度增加，接受率较高的人检索到的细节较少。

结论

我们认为，接受可以通过减少不愉快的生活经历的回忆来促进脱离，从而构成激活环境的适应性情绪调节策略。

预登记

这项研究没有预先注册。