T112. Changing the Past: Finding Positive Meaning in Past Negative Events Adaptively Updates Memory

Abstract

Finding positive meaning in past negative events is central to therapy and associated with enhanced mental health. It is unclear, however, whether it leads to long-lasting updates in the memory representation itself. Since memory enters a labile period during retrieval, this leaves the potential for modification each time it reopens. We tested whether positively reappraising negative memories adaptively updates them, leading to the re-emergence of positivity at future retrieval.