Five putative factors affecting flashbulb memory consistency and event memory accuracy were examined: (1)
attention to media
(2) the amount of discussion, (3) residency, (4) personal loss and/or inconvenience, and (5) emotional intensity.
What can trigger flashbulb memories?
One of the reasons that flashbulb memories are so strong is because of
the emotional arousal caused by hearing the news
, which makes the memory become etched into the mind much stronger than other memories might be.
How can flashbulb memories be wrong?
So
flashbulb memories can very easily be false memories
. This is quite typical when the flashbulb memory is of a personal traumatic event because over time we try to just justify what has happened and therefore the memory which we think is so strong is constantly changing.
Are flashbulb memories an accurate depiction of an event?
In fact, in 1899 psychologist F. W. Colegrove recorded vivid and detailed memories from people about when they learned of President Lincoln’s assassination. For a long time, researchers argued that
flashbulb memories really were a complete and accurate snapshot of events
.
What is the accuracy of flashbulb memories?
Thus, although flashbulb memories are not like videos of the event, they are
probably more accurate than memories for most events
that took place 10 years before. People also had a reasonably good memory for core events relating to 9/11 such as the number of planes involved and the crash sites.
Are flashbulb memories more accurate than other memories?
The Hirst, Talarico and Rubin findings seem to suggest that flashbulb memories are not necessarily all that accurate, but
they do appear to be more vivid than other memories
—at least people certainly perceive them that way.
Are flashbulb memories more accurate than other memories that may be as old?
Talarico and Rubin’s study (as well as Neisser’s study) suggest that
Flashbulb memories are no more accurate than regular memories
. … That might suggest that flashbulb memories are more vivid, because of the additional emotional processing from the amygdala.
Why do flashbulb memories seem so vivid?
Why do flashbulb memories seem so vivid and exact?
Emotional reactions stimulate the release of hormones that have been shown to enhance the formation of long-term memories
. … Memory is more like making up a story than it is like reading a book.
What happens to flashbulb memories over time?
Flashbulb memories are interesting because of
how very detailed and vivid they
are, even years and years after an event occurs. … Typically, you wouldn’t expect flashbulb memories to ever change at all because of how detailed, and vividly they are recalled. Nonetheless, changes in flashbulb memories occur quite often.
What are the main characteristics of flashbulb memories?
Moreover, the fundamental characteristics of a flashbulb memory are
informant (who broke the news), own affect (how they felt), aftermath
(importance of the event), other affect (how others felt), ongoing activity (what they were doing) and place (where they where when the event happened).
Why do inaccurate flashbulb memories stay consistent over time?
Despite their memory confidence, when the details of their memories were compared to the initial survey taken within 10 days of 9/11, there were significant inconsistencies. … This suggests that one reason why flashbulb memories remain so vivid for people is that
they are recalled over time
.
Can flashbulb memories be forgotten?
Evidence has shown that although people are highly confident in their memories,
the details of the memories can be forgotten
. Flashbulb memories are one type of autobiographical memory.
Are everyday memories accurate?
But whether or not you ever actually discover any small or large changes that have occurred, it’s unlikely that
your treasured memory is 100% accurate
. Remembering is an act of storytelling, after all. And our memories are only ever as reliable as the most recent story we told ourselves.
What is the difference between a false memory and a flashbulb memory?
However, the fact is this:
false memories still occur about major events that a person may remember as critical or influential in their life
. … A flashbulb memory is a highly vivid and detailed memory of a moment in which something emotionally stimulating occurred.
Are flashbulb memories always negative?
In short, a flashbulb memory is only somewhat indiscriminate and is very far from complete.” (Brown & Kulik, 1977, pg. … This memory trade-off can occur for positive as well as
for negative stimuli
, and it manifests in adults of all ages (Kensinger, Gutchess, & Schacter, 2007; Waring & Kensinger, 2009).
What does research on flashbulb memories indicate?
Terms in this set (16) Research on flashbulb memories indicates
that
.
the details of these memories are not very accurate
.
