Both studies moved how a memory felt while leaving what was remembered alone.
What changed was the involuntary, emotional component rather than the factual record. Recognition memory for the film was intact after the Tetris intervention, and unconsciously induced smiling during reactivation lowered the negative evaluation of a story without affecting recall of its details or general mood.
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[1] Supports · 2015
Can playing Tetris reduce intrusive memories of trauma?First, this study relied on an analogue trauma model using a distressing video, which does not fully replicate the clinical complexity, severity, or real-world environment of experiencing an actual life-threatening traumatic event. Second, the study did not compare Tetris with other types of games, leaving it unclear if the effect is specific to visuospatial tasks or if any highly engaging cognitive task (like a verbal game) would produce similar results. Finally, because recognition memory for the film remained fully intact, the intervention did not erase the memory itself, meaning the cognitive mechanism only prevents the memory from involuntarily intruding.
Original paper[2] Supports · 2015
Does smiling unconsciously make negative memories feel less sad?The study does not show if the shift in emotional tone is permanent, as the final memory test occurred only a 2-min delay after the facial manipulation. It cannot rule out whether a full 24-h delay is required to permanently lock in this new emotional evaluation. Additionally, the sample was limited to healthy young university students, meaning the results might not automatically apply to clinical populations suffering from severe trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder.
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