Affect Recall Bias: Being Resilient by Distorting Reality

ConclusionsWhile people appear to use retrospective PA overestimation as a strategy to enhance well-being and resilience, they are not likely to underestimate past negative experiences to feel better. Accordingly, owning an optimistic vision of the past may represent an adaptive “distortion” of reality that fosters people’s mental health. The clinical implications of cultivating PA and learning strategies to regulate both negative and positive emotions are discussed.
Source: Cognitive Therapy and Research - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research