Thinking negatively can boost your memory, study finds

Baack · Nov 2, 2009

(Reuters Life!) Bad moods can actually be good for you, with an Australian study finding that being sad makes people less gullible, improves their ability to judge others and also boosts memory.
The study, authored by psychology professor Joseph Forgas at the University of New South Wales, showed that people in a negative mood were more critical of, and paid more attention to, their surroundings than happier people, who were more likely to believe anything they were told.
"Whereas positive mood seems to promote creativity, flexibility, cooperation, and reliance on mental shortcuts, negative moods trigger more attentive, careful thinking paying greater attention to the external world," Forgas wrote.
"Our research suggests that sadness ... promotes information processing strategies best suited to dealing with more demanding situations."
For the study, Forgas and his team conducted several experiments that started with inducing happy or sad moods in their subjects through watching films and recalling positive or negative events.
In one of the experiments, happy and sad participants were asked to judge the truth of urban myths and rumors and found that people in a negative mood were less likely to believe these statements.
People in a bad mood were also less likely to make snap decisions based on racial or religious prejudices, and they were less likely to make mistakes when asked to recall an event that they witnessed.
The study also found that sad people were better at stating their case through written arguments, which Forgas said showed that a "mildly negative mood may actually promote a more concrete, accommodative and ultimately more successful communication style."
Click to expand...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091102/lf_nm_life/us_mood_memory

luvmyhubby · Nov 2, 2009

Interesting...real life experiences sorta prove the statement around here at least...bad mood equals more time pondering things b4 making choices.

Hardlyevr · Nov 2, 2009

My wife keeps tellin me I need to think more positively, to which my reply is "I'm positive things are gonne be screwed up!"
But I can remember lotsa stuff, except of course the stuff she expects me to remember!

Sad_Panda · Nov 2, 2009

It's simple really, you are thinking off all the outcomes possible. What can hit what fan, and what to do when it does hit the fan.

Not just bopping around like a leaf on the wind.

lilillill · Nov 2, 2009

Happy people drink purple Kool-Aid.

zotoa · Nov 15, 2009

Gee!, I should have a photographic memory at the rate I am negative!!
Leave it to a nation which was founded by rejects from england by being used as a prison colony when it was established.

Sad_Panda · Nov 17, 2009

lilillill said: ↑

Happy people drink purple Kool-Aid.
Click to expand...

Flavor-aid.

Log in or Sign up

Forums

Thinking negatively can boost your memory, study finds

Baack Road Train Member

Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

Wait, employers can't reach you!

luvmyhubby Road Train Member

Hardlyevr Road Train Member

Sad_Panda Road Train Member

lilillill Sarcasm... it's not just for breakfast

zotoa Light Load Member

Sad_Panda Road Train Member

Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

Wait, employers can't reach you!

Log in or Sign up

Useful Searches

Thinking negatively can boost your memory, study finds

Baack Road Train Member

Wait, employers can't reach you!

luvmyhubby Road Train Member

Hardlyevr Road Train Member

Sad_Panda Road Train Member

lilillill Sarcasm... it's not just for breakfast

zotoa Light Load Member

Sad_Panda Road Train Member

Wait, employers can't reach you!