We invite research that explores the mechanisms, functions and consequences of emotionally charged memories. Memory is not merely a static archive of past events, but a constructive and dynamic process, intermeshed with emotion, attention, and identity.
Building on foundational research, such as Russell’s (1980) circumplex model of emotion with its dual dimensions of valence and arousal, we now understand that emotional memories are not simply stored — they are encoded, reconstructed, and retrieved in ways shaped by personal meaning, affective tone, social context, and developmental stage. Past studies have emphasized the constructive nature of memory, challenging the idea of memories as objective snapshots or exact copies of the past.
We invite contributions from cognitive, social, affective psychology, human geography, sociology, history, and other related areas, that address key questions in this evolving field. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- The construction of emotional memories: How are they encoded, consolidated, and retrieved? How do emotions shape what is remembered and forgotten?
- Working memory vs. long-term memory in emotional content retention
- The role of emotional memory in everyday cognition, particularly in interpreting and making sense of the present
- The emotional underpinnings of autobiographical memory and personal narrative formation
- Memory valence and its effects on specificity, vividness, and accuracy of recall
- Visual salience and subjective vividness in emotional memory
- Impact of mixed-valence events on memory coherence and emotional evaluation
- The effect of sleep on emotional memory encoding, consolidation, and retrieval
- Age-related shifts in memory: lifespan perspectives on retrieval, emotional distance, and the “spotlighting” of key emotional events
- Collaborative and intergenerational memory recall, and how social contexts shape memory accuracy and meaning
- Effects of dementia and cognitive aging on emotional memory and the preservation of affect-laden experiences
- Social sharing of emotional memories: narrative construction, emotional contagion, and identity co-creation
- Memory for emotionally significant public or collective events (e.g., national crises, social movements)
- Emotion and memory distortion: false memories, bias, and reconstructive errors driven by emotional intensity or motivational factors
We welcome theoretical papers, empirical research, reviews and meta-analyses grounded in psychological science. Interdisciplinary perspectives drawing from the humanities, education, or cultural studies are welcome, provided they are psychologically informed and empirically grounded.
