Flashbulb Memory Research Paper

Wade Brantley
General Psychology
Flashbulb Memories Flashbulb memories are benchmarks where personal and public histories intersect. Flashbulb memories can happen to any individual that has a personal experience in which they reach a high level of surprise, therefore causing the event to make a lasting impression on them. Though the event could make a difference in the life of the person, it does not necessarily have to be catastrophic. It could be about your first date or your first kiss for example. Other determinants for flashbulb memories could be high levels of consequentiality and emotional arousal. When a person’s special biological memory mechanism is triggered by such an event, it creates a permanent record of the details and circumstances surrounding the experience. The uniqueness of an event can be the best predictor of how well it will be recalled later. Accuracy for recall will increase if someone has a distinctive experience during a meaningful event. People who have personal involvement in an event tend to have
One day returning from football practice on a Thursday evening while in high school, I fell asleep at the wheel. I was surprised to wake to the sound of my truck pulverizing a NO PARKING sign on the side of the road. As I opened my eyes to the sight of the majestic waters of Lake D’Arbonne, I began to panic. My truck left the road on the right side and proceeded towards the water, mowing down a freshly planted crepe myrtle tree before I could get it stopped. These types of events tend to stick out in our minds. The surprise factor first came into play, followed by the thoughts of the consequences. One of these particular consequences being that if I didn’t get my truck stopped that I would soon be in the lake. To top it off, I had to explain to my parents why my truck was torn up and why it seemed to have grown a crepe myrtle bush from the underside of my passenger