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Emotional aspects of mental time travel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 October 2007

Arnaud D'Argembeau  and
Martial Van der Linden
Arnaud D'Argembeau
Affiliation:
Cognitive Psychopathology Unit, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgiuma.dargembeau@ulg.ac.behttp://www.ppc.ulg.ac.be/
Martial Van der Linden
Affiliation:
Cognitive Psychopathology and Neuropsychology Unit, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland. Martial.VanDerLinden@pse.unige.chhttp://www.unige.ch/fapse/PSY/persons/vanderlinden/index.html
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Abstract

We consider three possible reasons why humans might accord a privileged status to emotional information when mentally traveling backward or forward in time. First, mental simulation of emotional situations helps one to make adaptive decisions. Second, it can serve an emotion regulation function. Third, it helps people to construct and maintain a positive view of the self.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 30 , Issue 3 , June 2007 , pp. 320 - 321
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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