Influence of emotion on cognitive processes Flashcards
Influence of emotion on cognitive processes
- Brown & Kulik
2. Neisser & Harsch
Brown & Kulik
To investigate whether surprising and personally significant events can cause flashbulb memories.
Procedure
40 black and 40 white americans were asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding the death of public figures (President John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King) as well as someone they personally know.
Results
90% of participants recalled a significant amount of detail about the days these events occurred. Most participants had very detailed memories of the death of a loved one. However, there was a difference in their memories of the assassination of public officials based on the relevance of the event to the participant. 75% of black participants had flashbulb memories of the murder of Martin Luther King, compared to 33% of white participants.
Evaluation
One of the first studies to attempt to test the existence of flashbulb memories and has led to a large amount of further research. Easily replicable allowing us to determine if results are reliable. However, when people are questioned about an important event, it is possible that they will say what they think they are supposed to say, this is caused social desirability. Also, the actual level of emotion at any point in time can not be measured or verified.
Neisser & Harsch
To determine whether flashbulb memories are susceptible to distortion.
Procedure
On the morning after the Challenger disaster, 106 university psychology students were asked to write a description of how they heard the news and then answer a questionnaire. 2 and a half years later, the same participants were given the same questionnaire again. This time they were also asked to rate the accuracy of their memory on a scale of 1-5. Due to discrepancies, semi-structured interviews were carried out a few months later to see if participants wold would repeat what they had written a few months earlier or revert back to the original memory.
Results
Out of the original questionnaire 7 of the 9 questions were content questions. Participants were awarded points for every answer that was the same each time they completed the questionnaire. The mean score was 2.95/7.
Evaluation
+ Case study, longitudinal and prospective, also method triangulation was used.
+ High ecological validity as variables were not manipulated.
+/- The study was naturalistic which is good for ecological validity. However, the lack of control over participant behaviour means it is difficult to eliminate the role of confounding variables.
+ Several other studies on different events resulted in similar findings thus demonstrating transferability.
- Can not be replicated and participant attrition occurred as students dropped out over time.
