Flashbulb memory

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

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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

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3
Flashbulb memory

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

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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

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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

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6
Flashbulb memory

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

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7
Flashbulb memory

• Squire (2000) recall of OJ Simpson verdict

100 50 0
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1 mo 12 mo 15 mo 3 years
8
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

www.psychlotron.org.uk