On the directive function of episodic memories in people's lives: A look at romantic relationships.

Abstract

We argue that episodic memories have an active and directive function with respect to a number of relational outcomes. In line with self-determination theory, it is expected that the satisfaction of 3 needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) in couple-related memories facilitates the quality of romantic relationships and their development. Results of 4 studies support this contention. Study 1 showed that need satisfaction in couple-related memories was associated with relationship quality, even after controlling for other important relational constructs. Study 2 underscored the context-dependent aspect of the directive function of episodic memories. Need satisfaction in couple-related memories was found to be associated with partner relationship quality but not with friendship quality, whereas need satisfaction in friend-related memories was associated with friendship quality but not with partner relationship quality. Study 3 showed that couple-related memories contributed independently to each partner's perceptions of relationship quality, that is, both the rememberer and the partner. Study 4 showed the long-term directive function of episodic memories. Need satisfaction in couple-related memories positively and negatively predicted increases in relationship quality and the likelihood of a breakup over a 1-year period, respectively. This directive function of memories was examined along with the self function of memories (self-enhancement, self-protection) and shown to be complementary. We also examined the stability of need satisfaction in couple-related memories over time and investigated this stability as a function of whether the partners had broken up or not over the year. Overall, the findings suggest that episodic memories play an important role in romantic relationships.

Remembering events related to close relationships, self-growth, and helping others: Intrinsic autobiographical memories, need satisfaction, and well-being

“…Results in the current study were virtually the same using the coded or self-reported measure. Therefore, we report on the selfreported data only, given that it is the typical measure of need satisfaction in memories (e.g., Philippe, Koestner, & Lekes, 2013;Philippe et al, 2012).…”

From elicitation to consumption: assessing the longitudinal effectiveness of negative emotional appeals in social marketing

“…Although social marketers have not explored these issues previously, psychologists have recently provided evidence supporting this assumption (Philippe, Koestner, Lecours, Beaulieu-Pelletier, & Bois, 2011;Philippe, Koestner, & Lekes, 2013). The encoding of emotions in memory networks should be important for negative emotional appeals.…”

Guilt in Marketing Research: An Elicitation–Consumption Perspective and Research Agenda

“…The absence of marketing research in this field is not surprising, since the literature in social-psychology has also largely ignored the study of how memory of past events influences emotional experiences (Philippe et al 2011(Philippe et al , 2013. This approach requires the analysis of how the memory of a marketing message based on guilt influences the experience of guilt in a certain consumption context (or vice versa examining how consumption-guilt influences elicited-guilt).…”

“…The analysis of feedback between experiences of guilt at different times has been neglected to date by marketers and psychologists. Second, recent research on how episodic memories influence emotions (Philippe et al 2011(Philippe et al , 2013 shows that (1) memories play a significant role in driving emotional states, and (2) memories are able to predict feelings when the environmental triggers of emotions involve the same underlying themes such as, for example, the same motivational needs (Deci and Ryan 2000). First, we know that consumers learn rules of behaviour from past guilt experiences (Baumeister et al 2007).…”