After their World Series victory last week, the St. Louis Cardinals have won more championships than any other team in the National League, winning 11 of the 18 World Series that they’ve played in. But a study published in Psychological Science reveals that Cardinals fans will likely remember the team’s wins better than their losses — and not just because the experiences are good ones.
The study surveyed baseball fans who either followed or attended the 2003 and 2004 American League Championship baseball games between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees and asked them details about the game. The researchers found that the participants remembered more details about their favorite teams’ wins than losses, such as the location of the games, who the winning and losing pitchers were, and if the game went into extra innings.
Perhaps surprisingly, the games are not simply more memorable because of the positivity associated with them.
“People seem to remember positive events, not necessarily because of the experience, but because it is rehearsed more — we think about and share the experience instead of dwelling on the negative,” said study author Martin Safer.
Added co-study author Carolyn Breslin: “What happens after the event, such as the social factors of telling friends about the game or seeing reminders of your team’s winning year on sports paraphernalia, is important. These things serve as memory cues and prompt rehearsal of the positive event.”
Source: HealthDay
Heather Rudow is a staff writer for Counseling Today. Email her at hrudow@counseling.org.