The Influence Of Flashbulb Memory

Memory is the retention of information over time. More specifically, flashbulb memories are a type of memory that encodes information during an emotional event. Upon encoding a flashbulb memory, the recollection of the event is stored, and then later retrieved. The aforementioned processes including encoding, storage and retrieval are involved with every memory. Regarding Jim’s situation where he described a flashbulb memory of a time where he remembered his parents winning the lottery and certain spatial recognitions, he was inaccurate when recalling this event. Flashbulb memories, as with other memories, are all susceptible to inaccurate illusions with both initial and later recollections, just as with what happened with Jim. When recalling flashbulb memories, the individual recalling the memory often explains the event in extraordinary vivid and detailed imagery. Individuals
Over time, memories become more prone to being forgotten or distorted when retrieving the stored information. Additionally, studies have shown there’s no difference between the recollected accuracy of a flashbulb memory or a normal memory. However, other factors that could have affected Jim’s recollection of the event, besides time, could have been how Jim encoded the information at the time of the event. Being in similar conditions during the recollection of the event, as the initial encoding of the event, could facilitate a more accurate recollection. For example, if Jim’s siblings surrounded him at his house where he first acknowledged that his parents won the lottery, he would probably have a more accurate recollection. Replicating Jim’s atmosphere in order to facilitate his recollection of his memory is an example of a retrieval cue. Jim’s lack of utilizing retrieval cues could be an addition to the number of reasons Jim inaccurately recalled the