Emotion and Cognition Flashcards
What is a flashbulb memory?
Flashbulb memories are vivid, detailed, and long-lasting memories of significant events, often involving high emotional impact. People tend to remember exactly where they were, what they were doing, and who they were with at the time of the event. These memories are often recalled with confidence and are thought to be more accurate and resistant to forgetting compared to regular memories.
How do flashbulb memories differ from regular memories?
Flashbulb memories are thought to be more accurate and resistant to forgetting, often involving high emotional significance, whereas regular memories are more susceptible to distortion and forgetting over time.
What is the relationship between flashbulb memories and emotional arousal?
Flashbulb memories are believed to be influenced by emotional arousal, with emotionally intense events being more likely to be encoded and recalled vividly and accurately. The emotional significance of the event helps solidify it in memory.
What theory contrasts with flashbulb memory?
Reconstructive memory contrasts with flashbulb memory. While flashbulb memories are thought to be vivid and accurate, reconstructive memory suggests that memories can be altered and distorted by external information and the malleability of memory over time.
What was the aim of McGaugh and Cahill’s 1995 study on flashbulb memory?
The aim of McGaugh and Cahill’s study was to investigate the role of emotional arousal in the formation of flashbulb memories.
How did McGaugh and Cahill investigate flashbulb memory?
McGaugh and Cahill showed participants two versions of the same story: one emotionally neutral and the other emotionally intense, involving a traumatic event. Participants were then asked to recall details of the story after a certain period of time.
What were the findings of McGaugh and Cahill’s study on flashbulb memory?
McGaugh and Cahill found that participants who were exposed to the emotionally intense version of the story recalled more details and remembered it more vividly than those who saw the neutral version. This suggests that emotional arousal enhances the encoding and recall of flashbulb memories.
What conclusion can be drawn from McGaugh and Cahill’s study on flashbulb memory?
The study concluded that emotional arousal plays a crucial role in the formation of flashbulb memories, making emotionally significant events more likely to be encoded, retained, and recalled vividly and accurately over time.
