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The secret to a better memory might be tied to your emotions.<\/p>\n
This is according to a study done by the Hangzhou Normal University in China that was published in the Journal of Neuroscience<\/a>.<\/p>\n The study included 44 university students who were shown 144 squiggly shapes, each of which were followed by a positive, neutral or negative image.\u00a0Then, the process was repeated two more times for each student.<\/p>\n After a 24-hour break, students were given a recognition memory test and the results revealed that students had better recall of the squiggly shapes that were followed by positive images.<\/p>\n “Our findings revealed that positive emotions enhanced the retrieval of meaningless squiggles compared to negative emotions,” the study said.<\/p>\n “These results provide neural evidence for the enhanced memory performance of items associated with positive emotions and shed light on the mechanisms underlying memory formation in emotional contexts,” researchers concluded.<\/p>\n Researchers did see a similar level of increased brain activity for negative emotions as compared to positive ones, but that did not lead to better recall.<\/p>\n The belief is that could be a result of heightened alertness for potential threats due to negative emotions.<\/p>\n While a small study, this does lend to the idea that being positive helps in retaining information. Just something to keep in mind if you want to improve your memory.<\/p>\n Related: Study Finds Best and Worst States for Business in 2025<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n