One of the first studies showing the Fading Affect Bias (FAB) was done by psychologist Hulsey Cason in 1932. In this study, people were asked to remember past events and how they felt about them. The results showed that people remembered the feelings from good events more strongly than those from bad ones.

It was initially assumed that as time went on the feelings and the details of both positive and negative memories became less vivid. However, later research showed that the feelings from bad experiences fade away quicker than those from good ones. Not only do the bad feelings disappear faster, but it also becomes harder to remember the bad experiences themselves. Some studies have shown that over time, there’s a chance that the way we think about negative memories changes to more positive ones.

It’s important to remember this isn’t necessarily a negative thing and can be good for our mental well-being, however, it can have significant implications when it comes to making future plans based on past experiences.

We all know the old saying “Time heals all wounds.” Essentially, as time goes by, we look back on our experiences more favorably, with the sting of negative emotions fading quicker than the warmth of positive ones. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing to be sure. But it can have a negative impact when it comes to how we plan for the future as a team.

If negative emotions fade faster than positive ones, we are likely to remember past projects and challenges more positively over time, even if there were significant challenges. This could lead to an overly optimistic outlook when planning for the future. We might underestimate the challenges or risks involved, and recall previous successes more vividly than struggles.

FAB can impair a team’s ability to anticipate and plan for potential challenges or contingencies effectively. If the emotional impact of past challenges isn’t remembered well, we may overlook the need for contingency plans or fail to allocate enough resources to address potential setbacks.

As negative experiences fade, we may become overconfident in our abilities or underestimate the potential consequences of risky decisions. This can lead to a false sense of invulnerability and might encourage excessive risk-taking behaviors that could have negative consequences for the team.