Intrusive memories are a common feature of many psychopathologies, and suppression-induced forgetting of unwanted memories appears as a critical ability to preserve mental health. In recent years, biological and cognitive studies converged in revealing that forgetting is due to active processes. Recent neurobiological studies provide evidence on the active role of main neurotransmitter systems in forgetting, suggesting that the brain actively works to suppress retrieval of unwanted memories. On the cognitive side, there is evidence that voluntary and involuntary processes (here termed “intentional” and “incidental” forgetting, respectively) contribute to active forgetting. In intentional forgetting, an inhibitory control mechanism suppresses awareness of unwanted memories at encoding or retrieval. In incidental forgetting, retrieval practice of some memories involuntarily suppresses the retrieval of other related memories. In this review we describe recent findings on deficits in active forgetting observed in psychopathologies, like post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Moreover, we report studies in which the role of neurotransmitter systems, known to be involved in the pathogenesis of mental disorders, has been investigated in active forgetting paradigms. The possibility that biological and cognitive mechanisms of active forgetting could be considered as hallmarks of the early onset of psychopathologies is also discussed.

This paper examines whether the persistent difficulty in addressing the eco-social crisis may partly stem from an inadequate representation of human decision-making within mainstream economic models. Although pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) and sustainable consumption are increasingly recognized as essential for sustainability transitions, neoclassical economics still largely relies on the homo oeconomicus paradigm, which assumes fully rational and utility-maximizing decision-making. Building on contributions from psychology, behavioral economics, neuroscience, and sustainability studies, this integrative narrative review examines how cognitive biases challenge the foundational assumptions of homo oeconomicus and explores the potential role of emotional intelligence in sustainability-related decision-making. Adopting the integrative narrative review approach, this paper integrates literature on (1) cognitive biases and bounded rationality; (2) emotional intelligence and judgment bias; and (3) emotional intelligence, pro-environmental behaviors, and sustainable consumption. The evidence reviewed suggests that sustainability-related decisions are strongly shaped by cognitive and emotional processes operating under uncertainty and socially embedded consumption patterns. Within this framework, EI may represent a psychological resource capable of influence of cognitive biases by supporting emotional regulation, impulse control, self-awareness, and long-term orientation. Overall, the paper proposes a conceptual framework linking cognitive biases, emotional intelligence, and sustainable behavior beyond the traditional homo oeconomicus paradigm.