Flashbulb MemoryIB Syllabus Says:

Evaluate one theory of how emotion may affect one

cognitive process(i.e. How flashbulb memory theory explains the influence of emotion

on memory )

Flashbulb memory

• Originally described by Brown & Kulik (1977):• Exceptionally vivid memories• Usually of important events with

emotional significance• Resistant to forgetting over time

• Debate centres on whether they are a special case, or the same as other memories

Flashbulb memory

• Typical ‘flashbulb’ events are dramatic, unexpected, shocking• E.g. disasters, deaths of prominent

figures (esp. if unexpected), momentous events

• World Trade Centre• Kennedy, Princess Diana• Fall of Berlin Wall

Flashbulb memoryThese are the aspects that Brown and Kulick (1977) propose are remembered vividly for flashbulb memories:

• Where you were• What you were doing• How you were informed• How you reacted• How others around you reacted

• They propose that there is a biological memory mechanism which leads to these exceptionally vivid memories

Flashbulb memory

• Surveys about dramatic events:• Brown & Kulik (1977) found US PPs

tended to have vivid memories of political assassinations

• All PPs good recall of Kennedy, Black PPs better recall of Medgar Evers (civil rights worker)

• Shows importance of relevance of the information – culture seems to influence things

• Shock, arousal also important (physiological arousal – amygdala)

• Neisser (1982) proposed that the enduring nature of FBM is a result of rehearsal and reworking after the event

• We use the conventions of storytelling recounting important events – FBMs are just as susceptible to distortion as other memories.

• Its difficult to check the accuracy of flashbulb memories – nothing different about them

• E.g Neisser himself was sure he was listening to the baseball when pearl harbour was bombed in WWII – but it couldn’t have been possible because it wasn’t in the baseball season

Flashbulb memory

• Challenges to concept of FBM:• Neisser & Harsch (1992) compared

PPs recall of Challenger disaster after 24 hours and 2 years

• Found all accounts had changed over time, some were ‘wildly inaccurate’ 40%

•Furthermore, The McCloskey et al. (1988) study also proposes that flashbulb memories are not special memories (see key study)

Flashbulb memory

• Platania & Hertkorn (1998) – recall for death of Princess Diana

consistency

Imm. 10 weeks

confidence

Imm. 10 weeks

everyday

Dianaeveryday

Diana

Flashbulb memory

• Squire (2000) – recall of OJ Simpson verdict100%

50%

0%1 mo 12 mo 15 mo 3 years

Highly accurateContained major distortions

Flashbulb memories

• Relatively little evidence for FMBs as a distinct memory process

• They ‘feel’ accurate (we are confident in recall) but are just as prone to forgetting & change as other episodic memories