7- Flashbulb Memories

Question 1

What is a flashbulb memory?

Answer 1

A memory of circumstances where people learn of an impactful, emotionally charged event

Question 2

Why are source events of flashbulb memories inherently public?

Answer 2

Due to there being an informant

Question 3

What does the vividness and clarity of flashbulb memories make them like?

Answer 3

A ‘snapshot’

Question 4

Is an event always public?

Answer 4

Yes

Question 5

How many details are remembered?

Answer 5

Several

Question 6

Are accounts usually stable over time?

Answer 6

Yes

Question 7

What type of memory is a flashbulb memory?

Answer 7

Collective memory

Question 8

What play a big part in flashbulb memories?

Answer 8

Emotions

Question 9

How did Brown & Kulik operationalise the “flashbulb effect”?

Answer 9

As a memory where participants could answer ‘yes’ to this and content matched 1+ of canonical categories

Question 10

What are canonical categories?

Answer 10

Type of information frequently reported in news accounts

Question 11

6 canonical categories

Answer 11

1. Place
2. Aftermath
3. Ongoing activity
4. Own affect
5. Other affect
6. Informant

Question 12

How does the content of canonical categories vary?

Answer 12

Across individuals

Question 13

What can canonical categories be?

Answer 13

Idiosyncratic or accidental

Question 14

4 key features of creating flashbulb memories

Answer 14

1. Novelty, unexpectedness
2. Consequentiality
3. Rehearsals
4. Like photographs

Question 15

How does consequentiality affect creating flashbulb memories?

Answer 15

Considering the consequences to the person themselves and people around that person

Question 16

How do flashbulb memories differ to a photograph?

Answer 16

They are incomplete

Question 17

Why aren’t flashbulb memories first-hand?

Answer 17

We are informed of the event rather than experiencing it

Question 18

What are flashbulb memories and what are they not?

Answer 18

About facts concerning the event- not memories OF events

Question 19

How do Brown & Kulik suggest that flashbulb memories differ to other autobiographical memories?

Answer 19

They remain unchanged

Question 20

What is the “ordinary” memory mechanism hypothesis?

Answer 20

Same encoding, storing, and retrieving process involved in flashbulb memories as in other autobiographical memories

Question 21

What methodology have some studies used?

Answer 21

A test-retest methodology

Question 22

What 2 processes are involved in a test-retest methodology?

Answer 22

1. Recollection immediately after the flashbulb event
2. Recollection after a delay

Question 23

2 ways the flashbulb memories don’t remain unchanged

Answer 23

1. Inconsistencies between two recollections emerge
2. May be better recalled initially- consistency declines as in other autobiographical memories but confidence remains high

Question 24

Who investigated phantom flashbulb memories?

Answer 24

Neisser & Harsch

Question 25

Even though accuracy dropped 2 years later, how was the recall of phantom flashbulb memories?

Answer 25

Very confident

Question 26

How can flashbulb memories be explained?

Answer 26

By ‘ordinary’ memory mechanisms

Question 27

What is there debate over regarding formation of flashbulb memories?

Answer 27

What necessary and sufficient factors there are underlying formation

Question 28

What 3 necessary and sufficient factors are debated regarding the formation of flashbulb memories?

Answer 28

Stability
Rehearsal
Consequentiality

Question 29

What can flashbulb memories be used to study?

Answer 29

Traumatic memories

Question 30

What is the amygdala activity observed during flashbulb memories?

Answer 30

It is more active during flashbulb memories

Question 31

What does the amygdala activity in flashbulb memories suggest?

Answer 31

That flashbulb memories are involved in differential processing

Question 32

What is learning of a traumatic event different from?

Answer 32

Directly experiencing it