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Why can one unpleasant comment dominate the memory of a day?

A day full of ordinary or pleasant moments can become the day somebody criticized you. Psychologist Alison Ledgerwood introduces this puzzle through her own reaction to teaching feedback. Attention, interpretation, and later recollection are different places to look for an explanation, without assuming a fixed ratio between negative and positive experiences.

3–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • Did the comment receive more attention at the time, or become more prominent afterward?

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3–7 min

Can a question change what someone remembers?

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