ENDURING MEMORIES: THE IMPACT OF UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCES ON STUDENTS
Keywords:
trauma, long-term memory, unpleasant experiences, students, educational psychology.Abstract
Unpleasant experiences experienced by students, such as bullying, academic failure, unfair treatment, or the loss of someone close, can contribute to the formation of long-term memories that affect psychological development and the learning process. The urgency of this study is supported by data from the Indonesia–National Adolescent Mental Health Survey (I-NAMHS), which shows that anxiety is the most prevalent mental health problem among Indonesian adolescents, at 28.2% among females and 25.4% among males, followed by hyperactivity, depression, behavioral problems, and post-traumatic stress. This situation indicates that psychological difficulties among adolescents are an issue requiring attention in educational settings. This study aims to analyze the influence of unpleasant experiences on the formation of long-term memories and their implications for students' psychological, social, and academic aspects. The study uses a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) with a qualitative-descriptive approach. Data were obtained by searching scientific articles in Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and SINTA databases published during 2016–2026. Articles meeting the inclusion criteria were analyzed using content analysis to identify consistent patterns of findings. The results show that experiences involving negative emotions are more easily stored in long-term memory through the involvement of the amygdala and hippocampus in emotional memory processing. Such memories contribute to various effects, including increased anxiety, reduced self-confidence, concentration problems, low learning motivation, difficulties in social interaction, and decreased academic achievement. These findings emphasize the importance of collaboration among schools, teachers, and parents in creating a safe, supportive, and responsive learning environment that addresses students' psychological needs, minimizes the negative effects of traumatic experiences, and optimally supports students' academic development and psychological well-being.
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