Question

explain how emotions affect memory

Answer 1

Emotions can have a large impact on our memories. Emotionally charged situations can lead us to create longer lasting memories of the event. Emotion plays a role at various specific stages of remembering information, consolidating memories and during the recall of experiences at a later date. The brain, in spite of all its intricacies, is subdivided into different areas that influence the way we behave, act out in a situation, and apply logic.

Think about the last time you had your heart broken or when a friend betrayed you, or even when you were jubilated on getting that much-awaited promotion it is your emotions that fueled your brain to retain that strong memory strand that has in turn converted into permanent data.The different types of emotions positive or negative also contribute to what kind of memories are formed. When people experience positive emotional situations, they remember the situation with a broader viewpoint and remember more central details. Those that experience negatively charged situation tend to narrow their attention, and thus encode a more focused memory, and remember more peripheral details.

Emotional memories are powerful and serve to guide and inform us as we navigate the present and prepare for the future. Different emotions cause the brain to work differently, including in terms of cognitive processes such as learning and memory.