Article Dans Une Revue Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition Année : 2025

Was I happy today? The influence of positive emotion regulation and depressive symptoms on recalled happiness.

Rosa María Baños
Giovanni Mansueto
  • Fonction : Auteur
María Folgado-Alufre

Résumé

Depression is often associated with positive affect recall bias-recalling pleasant affective experiences as less positive than they were. Research suggests this bias may arise from maladaptive emotion regulation patterns, including reduced daily use of strategies that amplify positive emotions and increased reliance on those that dampen them. This study examined the relationship between daily experienced happiness, positive emotion regulation, and recalled happiness over a 10-day period in 155 participants with varying levels of depressive symptoms. Daily recalled happiness was significantly predicted by higher use of amplifying and lower dampening strategies. Individuals with more severe depressive symptoms recalled less happiness, even on relatively happy days. In this group, increase in daily use of amplifying strategies was associated with greater recalled happiness, whereas their decrease led to significantly diminished recalled happiness. Overall, boosting positive emotion regulation may improve how individuals with higher depressive symptoms recall their pleasant affective experiences.

General Audience Summary

Depression is often associated with the tendency to recall positive experiences as less positive than they were (viz., positive affect recall bias). Research shows that the strategies we use to modify ongoing emotions can significantly influence how we remember emotional moments. Accordingly, using strategies that amplify and upregulate positive emotions has been shown to promote more vivid and positively valenced memories. However, individuals with depression tend to rely less on these strategies, instead using strategies that dampen positive emotional states. This maladaptive pattern in regulating positive emotions may contribute to the positive affect recall biases observed in this population. In this study, we gathered data from 155 participants with varying depression levels through a mobile app, focusing on daily happiness levels, the use of strategies to amplify or dampen positive emotions, and recalled happiness at the end of each day. Our findings revealed some interesting patterns. First, we found that on days when participants amplified positive emotions more and dampened them less, they were more likely to recall higher happiness levels. Participants with more severe depressive symptoms reported lower recalled happiness, even on days when they felt quite happy. Yet, there was a silver lining: On days when these individuals increased their use of amplifying strategies, their recalled happiness also went up. On the flip side, reducing these strategies led to a decline in their memory of happiness. These findings suggest that amplifying strategies could be a valuable tool in helping those with depressive symptoms remember positive experiences more positively. By focusing on enhancing these emotional skills, we may be able to mitigate the positive affect recall bias associated with depression. Encouraging the practice of these strategies in everyday life could be a crucial step toward fostering a more positive outlook for individuals struggling with depressive symptoms.

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Dates et versions

hal-05462445 , version 1 (20-01-2026)

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Desirée Colombo, Jean-Baptiste Pavani, Rosa María Baños, Giovanni Mansueto, María Folgado-Alufre, et al.. Was I happy today? The influence of positive emotion regulation and depressive symptoms on recalled happiness.. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 2025, 14 (4), pp.522-531. ⟨10.1037/mac0000257⟩. ⟨hal-05462445⟩
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