Flashbulb Memory Research Paper

The human mind has an extraordinary capacity for storing multiple different types of memories, whether they are sensory, short-term, or long-term as proposed by the Atkinson-Shriffin Multi-Store Model of Memory. Within the category of long-term memories, the brain may store procedural, semantic, or episodic memories related to specific events. Certain events are more memorable than others for a combination of these reasons, but events that are truly more salient than others are typically emotional events that leave a lasting impact. Interestingly, many individuals find that their memories for when they heard about major emotional events, like assassinations and September 11th, are extremely vibrant, and they believe their accounts for hearing about these events are true depictions.

Current models of flashbulb memories propose that factors determining the development and preservation of flashbulb memories include interest, importance, emotions, rehearsal, and even surprise (Tinti, Schmidt, Testa, & Levine, 2014). The term “flashbulb memory” originated from research by Brown and Kulik (1977) who believed that these sharp memories surrounding hearing about a special event were similar to photographs in their level of perceptual vividness. As more research has sprouted, cognitive psychologists have questioned this analogy, because memories, even for specific emotional events, can unintentionally change over time. Although flashbulb memories are unique in that they are tremendously vivid and have a high level of subjective certainty, research reveals that factors other than those presented in typical flashbulb memory models can have significant effects on consistency of flashbulb memories. This supports the idea that flashbulb memories are not necessarily