Flashbulb Memories: Vivid Yet Flawed Snapshots of Shocking Events

 Have you ever had an experience etched so deeply in your mind that you can recall the tiniest details? Many people share this phenomenon with events like the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and Goldstein (2019) states that these vivid memories of learning about public events are called flashbulb memories. But are they photographic snapshots of the past, or are they more like impressionistic paintings?

The Birth of a Term: Flashbulb Memories

Goldstein (2019) explains how the term was coined:

1. Psychologists Roger Brown and James Kulik coined the term flashbulb memory in 1977.
2. They were particularly interested in memories surrounding President John F. Kennedy's assassination. They believed that the emotional intensity of such events triggers a unique memory mechanism, creating a permanent, detailed record of how we learned about them.

Flashbulb Memories: Special or Not So Special?

While Brown and Kulik believed flashbulb memories were exceptional, research paints a different picture. Studies using repeated recall show that these memories change over time, and people may forget details or even misremember where they were or who told them about the event.

For instance, a study on the Challenger space shuttle explosion revealed that participants' memories of where they first heard the news shifted over a few years. This suggest that flashbulb memories are susceptible to influences beyond the original experience, just like regular memories. (Goldstein, 2019)

The Power of Rehearsal and Media

Researcher Ulric Neisser and his team proposed the "narrative rehearsal hypotheses" to explain flashbulb memories. They argue that we rehearse these events through conversations, news reports, and social media, which strengthens the memory but can also introduce inaccuracies (Goldstein, 2019).

Imagine constantly seeing images of the 9/11 attacks on TV. This repetition might make you believe you initially saw the news on TV, even if you didn't.

Researcher James Ost reinforces this idea. Participants were asked if they had seen a video of Princess Diana's car crash, which never existed (Goldstein 2019). The extensive media coverage led some to believe they had seen something unreal.

Flashbulb Memories: A Blend of Vividness and Inaccuracy

Research suggests that flashbulb memories, while vivid and enduring, are not immune to distortion. They share some characteristics with everyday memories, like fading details over time. However, flashbulb memories are more likely to be remembered, even if the details are inaccurate.

The Takeaway: Memories Can Be Reconstructed

Flashbulb memory research highlights human memory's fascinating—and som
etimes frustrating—flexibility. Our memories are not perfect recordings of the past but reconstructions influenced by emotions, rehearsal, and even media portrayals. Understanding this process is crucial for evaluating the accuracy of our memories, especially when dealing with historical events or eyewitness testimonies.

References

Goldstein, B. (2019). Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday Experience (5th ed.) [Review of Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday Experience]. Cengage.