The idea of flashbulb memories was proposed by Roger Brown (Law, 2011). When we think back on memories we tend to have more memory of what occurred if something emotionally impactful happened. Without these emotions in play we are more likely to just remember vague details, or no specific details at all unless they are brought up by someone else. This has been found to be because when emotions are associated to something we are more likely to remember what occurred (Goldstein, 2015).
The association between emotions and memories has been studied by Talarico and Rubin to have people describe what happened when 9/11 took place, and what happened days prior (Goldstein, 2015). The results obviously showed that people knew more about what happened on 9/11 because it was a major impact on the country’s life but inconsistencies in their stories over time changed (Law, 2011). It was also found that emotional memories are contained in the amygdala (Law, 2011). Those who had this section of the brain activated were better able to recall what happened, even over time, because there was some sort of emotion attached to the event (Law, 2011).
I have realized that this is true as time goes on. Sure, I can remember vacations with my family and traveling around the states while my father was in the military. But there are only a few vacations that I can remember clearly, like seeing the changing of the guards and Arlington Cemetery. Two of the biggest days of my life, when my daughter and son were born are also two clear memories that I have. My daughter’s birth was 4 pushes and I cried because that was my little girl, everything went perfect and she was such a good baby. My son on the other hand I cried for other reasons, his birth was 30 minutes of pushing, they had to rush a pediatrician in due to too much meconium, he was not breathing and they had to deep suction him due to all the meconium and had to give him rescue breaths, and it took over an hour for him to move his right arm and they were not sure why. He was also jaundiced and had to repeat his hearing test due to failing the first time around in his right ear. These memories are so much clearer to me than others due to the high emotional impact.
Goldstein, E. (2015). Cognitive psychology: Connecting MInd, Research, and Everdyday Experience (4th ed.). Stamford, Ct: Cengage Learning.
Law, B. (2011, September). Seared in our memories. Retrieved December 01, 2017, from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/09/memories.aspx
After reading your blog post, it helped me recall many situations in terms of flash bulb memory, as well as false memory. I used to play softball and I was very passionate about it. I can remember quite vividly certain games, whereas others, I do not even remember being there. One situation in particular was when I was a junior in high school and we were playing the regional semi finals against one of our rivals. Tensions were high. I remember being at third base in the field with 2 outs and no runners on base, It was the 6th inning. This chick hit a line drive right at my throat and I had no time to even move my glove. The ball bounced off of my jugular in front of me. I picked the ball up and threw the runner out in no time. Then all of a sudden I could not breathe and I coughed up blood. I was fine, just some internal bleeding. But because the game was on the line and I had experienced a significant amount of pain, I am still able to recall that very moment that was almost 7 years ago.
Now, I also experience a false memory associated with this game. So many people told me that they had seen the ball hit me at third base, that I believed other things they had told me about the game. Some said we crushed them 12 to 0, others said it was a very close game and other aspects pertaining to the game itself. Some even said we fought the team afterwards, because they lost badly. None of these things happened, other than my team beating them in a rather low scoring game. However, I believed that we had fought and that we crushed them. I always thought this was fascinating after I watched the game footage and saw the truth after believing these absurd stories. It is amazing how we remember some things and not others, as well as fabricate memories from nothing due to the influence of others.
I found myself recalling the births of my own children while reading your blog post. Isn’t it funny how our memories are tied to something as simple as a sound or smell when emotions are heightened? While we may think that the event has something to do with it being irrevocably locked in our memories, I believe it has something more to do with the connection we feel in retrospect to that event. Our minds connect the event with an emotion, thus allowing us to solidify that memory to long-term rather than short-term.
I too can recall with relative accuracy where I was and what I was doing when it came time to deliver my girls. The first was an unexpected emergency cesarean which shook me to my core. I will never forget the view looking up when the doctor put a mask over my mouth and nose and told me to relax, then I was out. The fear that overtook my scenes was astounding. The second was a scheduled cesarean, and the day before, I was prepping my home for the arrival of my youngest. It was a joyful experience, completely opposite from the first. Both hold a special place in my heart and mind, and I am glad for the memories that are detailed in my mind. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
The idea of being able to create flashbulb memories is fascinating and frightening. It is fascinating because we are able to unknowingly manipulate ourselves into being confident about our recollection of past memories when they can indeed be partially inaccurate. The frightening part is that these inaccurate memories can create problems such as leading to innocent men and women to prison.
A specific flashbulb memory that I can recall was when I was younger and my oldest sister nearly hit by a car.
Every few years my family and I discuss it and small details tend to change. The last time we discussed it, we couldn’t agree on what type of vehicle the person was driving, but we were all confident that the type of vehicle that we saw was the right one, meaning that either two of us were wrong or all three of us were wrong.
I firmly believe that the only way to preserve the accuracy of our past memories is if we recorded them somehow and was able to refer to the recordings of these memories rather than solely relying on what we personally remembered.