Background

Same-sex public displays of affection (a.k.a., PDAs) remain taboo. Experiencing stigma when engaging in PDAs may undermine a sexual minority person’s needs to feel autonomous in their actions and connected with their partner. Research suggests that memories of need-thwarting experiences can have an enduring negative association with well-being. However, there is also evidence that resilient people integrate negative memories into networks of more positive or need-satisfying memories.

Aims

This study investigated whether sexual minority individuals who freely recalled more need-satisfying memories in relation to a memory of a negative PDA experience reported better momentary and person-level well-being.

Method

LGBTQ-identified adults (N = 129) completed an online survey. Participants described a memory of a negative PDA experience and up to three memories spontaneously associated with the initial memory (i.e., networked memories). For each memory, participants rated how satisfied they felt in their needs for autonomy and relatedness at the time the recalled event occurred. They also completed measures of momentary and person-level well-being.

Results

In bivariate analyses, need-satisfaction in networked memories was related to momentary, but not person-level well-being. Multiple regression analyses revealed that need satisfaction in networked memories did not exert a moderating effect on the link between need-satisfaction in a negative PDA memory and any well-being outcomes. Furthermore, qualitative analysis of memory content suggested that the act of remembering a negative PDA experience largely activated other memories characterized by both minority stress and a lack of need satisfaction.

Conclusion

Results bring into question whether people can truly integrate negative memories into more need-satisfying memory networks. Rather, alternate processes (e.g., adaptive emotion regulation, constructing positive self-narratives) might better explain how people adaptively cope and make sense of past negative life experiences.