Interpersonal communication

Mediation

Outgroup

Biology

Ingroups and outgroups

Developmental psychology

Political science

Paleontology

Psychology

Affect (linguistics)

Context (archaeology)

Communication

Social psychology

Social Psychology

Abstract. Negative affect associated with autobiographical events fades faster over time than positive affect. This Fading Affect Bias (FAB) has been established in the individual and interpersonal domains. Two studies tested the FAB in intergroup relations with Muslims ( N= 76 White British non-Muslim) and opposite gender ( N = 242 women and men) as target outgroups. The results indicated that the FAB exists in an intergroup context, for both ingroup and outgroup memories. Mediation analyses showed that intergroup contact is related to a lower fading of positive affect associated with the outgroup memory, through greater memory strength and a more positive outgroup member evaluation. The findings are important for understanding affect associated with intergroup memories and the buffering effect of positive contact.

Fading Affect Bias in Intergroup Relations