Question about psychology?

Question

Question about psychology-
What is it called when you remember events more clearly because of emotion. (i.e. you don't really remember what you had for dinner last night, but you would remember if your parents had a big argument.)
Thanks!

no. thank you, but that's not it. it's the stronger ability to remember things the more emotional they are.

Answer 1

As far as i can tell, there isn't a 'name' for what you're describing other than emotional memories.

An event is more likely to be remembered if there is a strong emotion linked with it, however when a memory is recalled because of strong emotion, most details that didn't have anything to do with that emotion will be lost. You're focusing on how you felt, and what made you feel that way, not what you were eating, or what day of the week it was.

Memories linked to pleasant emotions are more likely to be remembered than unpleasant ones.

How you're feeling now can also influence your memory. Someone who is depressed is more likely to recall depressing memories. While a very happy person will be more likely to recall positive emotional memories. Kind of explains why when you're feeling down, everything sucks, and when you're having a great time with old friends, you can tell stories of the good old days for hours.

Answer 2

You have to pay attention and maintain attention long enough to do the thought association needed for long term memory.

Habituation - when something is familiar, so the thalamus doesn't trigger the brain to attend to it...meaning it won't be held in short-term memory long enough to be stored in long-term memory. Some people can't describe the pattern on their own dining room curtains...and they eat there every day.

Attention - when the thalamus directs more neuronal energy towards a perception identified as emotionally significant. The amygdala in the limbic system will do this identification and spark a huge cascade to the hypothalamus, which triggers the emotion reaction in the body. This event focuses attention in short-term memory long enough for it to be integrated with the emotion and everything else associated with it in memory.

Answer 3

If one cannot remember what they had for dinner last night perhaps it's because they were concentrating on something that was absolutely none of their business. Children are not in charge adults or the home - forget it.