Higher Levels of Grit Are Associated With a Stronger Fading Affect Bias

The affect associated with negative events fades faster than the affect associated with positive events (the fading affect bias). The fading affect bias is present in most participants and is thought to be evidence of a healthy coping mechanism operating in autobiographical memory. Prior research shows that the fading affect bias can be distorted by negative individual difference variables such as dysphoria and anxiety. The goal of this research is to link the fading affect bias to the positive individual difference variable of Grit. A total of 197 participants completed the short Grit Scale and were divided into four groups based on their Grit scores (i.e., low Grit to high Grit). Participants retrieved positive and negative event memories and then made affect ratings for the events. The results show that increased levels of Grit were associated with a stronger fading affect bias.