How the experience of emotion enhances our memories
情绪经历如何增强我们的记忆
Posted Oct 08, 2015
A normal function of emotion is to enhance memory in order to improve recall of experiences that have importance or relevance for our survival. Emotion acts like a highlighter pen that emphasizes certain aspects of experiences to make them more memorable. Memory formation involves registering information (encoding), processing and storage, and retrieval.
情绪的一个正常功能就是强化记忆，它能有力地回忆起那些很重要或与我们生存相关的记忆。情绪的作用就像荧光笔，强调经历的某些方面是为了使它们更难忘。记忆的形成包括登记信息（译成密码），加工和存储，以及提取。
Emotion affects all the phases of memory formation.Here's how.
情绪会影响记忆形成的全部阶段。以下就是这个过程。
1. Attention: Attention guides our focus to select what’s most relevant for our lives and is normally associated with novelty. Nothing focuses the mind like surprise. For example, although one may thoroughly enjoy a particular conversation, the same conversation a second time around would be dull. Emotional intensity acts to narrow the scope of attention so that a few objects are emphasized at the expense of many others. Focusing upon a very narrow area allows for an optimal use of our limited attentional capacity. 注意力： 注意力指导我们集中挑选那些与生活最为相关的事物，并且常常与新奇事物联系在一起。惊讶最能使人集中注意力。比如，尽管一个人可能会完全享受一个特别的谈话，但是第二次谈话内容依旧相同就非常枯燥了。强烈的情绪会缩小注意力的范围，因此少数几个目标才能在牺牲许多其他事物的条件下被强调出来。注意力集中在一个非常小的范围上才允许我们优先使用自己那有限的注意事物的能力。
2. Consolidation of a memory: Most of the information we acquire is forgotten and never makes it into long-term memory. When we learn a complex problem, the short-term memory is freed up and the action becomes automatic. Emotionally charged events are remembered better than those of neutral events. (link is external) You will never forget some events, such as the joy of the birth of your first child, or the horror of the 9/11 terrorist attack. The stress hormones, epinephrine and cortisol, enhances memory and consolidates memory contents. In evolutionary terms, it’s logical for us to imprint dangerous situations with extra clarity so that we may avoid them in the future. 巩固记忆力： 我们得到的大部分信息会被遗忘，从来没有将其转化为长期记忆。当我们学习一个复杂问题时，短期记忆会被释放出来而且这种行为是自动的。被情绪掌控的事件比中立性的事件更难忘。你永远不会忘记一些事件，比如你第一个孩子出生的喜悦，或者911恐怖袭击事件带来的恐惧。压力激素、肾上腺素和皮质醇会增强记忆力和巩固记忆内容。从进化的角度看，逻辑上我们会对危险的情况留下深刻的印记，并且保持的格外清晰，以便我们在将来能够避免再次发生。
3. Memory recall: Memories of painful emotional experiences linger far longer than those involving physical pain. There is an old saying that “sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you.” To the contrary, evidence shows that hurt feelings could be worse than physical pain. In the words of Maya Angelou: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” In fact, there is an evidence (link is external) that acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) works not only on physical pain, but also on emotional pain. 记忆回想： 情感伤痛经历的记忆比肢体伤痛的记忆持续的时间长。有句古话说“棍棒和石头可以打断你的骨头，但是语言一点也伤不到你。”与之相反，有证据显示伤害情感会比身体疼痛更糟糕。玛雅·安吉洛说过一句话：“我已经明白人们会忘记你说的话，人们会忘记你做的事，但是人们不会忘记你带给他们怎样的感觉。”事实上，有证据显示醋氨酚不仅作用于身体上的疼痛，也会作用于情绪上的疼痛。
4. Priming: Past memories are often triggered or primed by one’s environment. Priming refers to activating behavior through the power of unconscious suggestion. Researchers (link is external)have found that people who were made to think of self-discipline (by having to unscramble sentences about it) immediately made more future-oriented snack choices than those given sentences about self-indulgence. In this case, the goal stored in long-term memory is retrieved and placed in short-term (or working) memory. Similarly, the concept of a library causes people to speak more softly. 启动： 过去的记忆常常被一个人身处的环境触发或给出提示。启动是指通过无意识的暗示力量激发行为。研究人员发现，在一项重组语句的游戏中，一组使人们立即想到自我约束，另一组被给出有关自我放纵的句子，在选择小吃上，前者比后者更多的做出未来导向型选择。在这一案例中，存储在长期记忆中的目标被唤醒，取代短期记忆（或工作记忆）。相同的，图书馆的概念会让人们说起话来更加轻声细语。
5. Mood memory: Our current emotional state facilitates recall of experiences that had a similar emotional tone. When we are in a happy mood, we tend to recall pleasant events and vice versa. This is because moods bring different associations to mind. For example, recalling positive childhood experiences while in a good mood. Being in a bad mood primes a person to think about negative things. 情绪记忆： 我们最近的情绪状态有利于召唤起有相似情绪基调的经历。当情绪快乐时，我们倾向于回忆起快乐的事件，反之亦然。这是因为情绪会带给大脑不同的联想。比如，在心情好的时候就会唤起儿时积极的回忆。在一个心情糟糕的时期里，人们就想起那些消极的事情。