Memory transience versus memory persistence

Some memories are transient, while others persist for a lifetime. Whether transience or persistence will occur after the formation of a memory is partly determined by the relevance of the event it represents. For example, emotional memories are processed in such a way that they have a smaller chance to fade than neutral memories. However, with the passage of time, new events can occur that drastically change the original course of memory. Neutral memories that were fading can become strengthened. Conversely, emotional events that seemed destined to forever occupy a central place in memory may become silent. This thesis has contributed to a better understanding of this dynamic nature of memory. One of the main insights we obtained is that the development of episodic memory over time is markedly different for emotional and neutral events. Also, we have gained a better understanding of the way similar memories interact which each other, causing either facilitation or impairment of recollection. The research in this thesis additionally illustrates that subtle conditions need to be met in order to successfully study, induce, and interpret changes in readouts of memory. Provided that these requirements are effectively dealt with, future research may extend and integrate the insights conveyed by this work. Thereby, valuable applications may become within reach, ranging from improved memory techniques to bolster information retention in education, to measures aimed at counteracting false memory in forensic settings, to the development of interventions that effectively target disorders of emotional memory.