1 / 8

Flashbulb 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. www.psychlotron.org.uk.

joys
Download Presentation

Flashbulb memory

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. 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 www.psychlotron.org.uk

  2. 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 www.psychlotron.org.uk

  3. Flashbulb memory • Where you were • What you were doing • How you were informed • How you reacted • How others around you reacted www.psychlotron.org.uk

  4. 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 • Shock, arousal also important www.psychlotron.org.uk

  5. Flashbulb memory • Challenges to concept of FBM: • Neisser (1988) compared PPs recall of Challenger disaster after 2 days and 2 years • Found all accounts had changed over time, some were ‘wildly inaccurate’ www.psychlotron.org.uk

  6. consistency confidence Diana everyday everyday Diana Imm. 10 weeks Imm. 10 weeks Flashbulb memory • Platania & Hertkorn (1998) – recall for death of Princess Diana www.psychlotron.org.uk

  7. Highly accurate Contained major distortions Flashbulb memory • Squire (2000) – recall of OJ Simpson verdict 100% 50% 0% www.psychlotron.org.uk 1 mo 12 mo 15 mo 3 years

  8. Flashbulb memories • Relatively little evidence for FBMs 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 www.psychlotron.org.uk

More Related