The following essay will describe and explain Flash bulb memory using the knowledge of the cognitive approach. Flash bulb memory is the

Cohen et al also predicted that true flashbulb memories are more enduring so less vulnerable to forgetting than other types of memory. The resignation of the former Conservative party leader Mrs Thatcher was used to test people’s flashbulb memory. Younger and older adults were questioned a fortnight of Mrs Thatcher’s resignation and they were then questioned 11 months later. The findings revealed that 90% of younger participants and 42% of older adults had flashbulb memory. It is hard to know whether the high levels of memory shown by the participants were due to the distinctiveness and emotional impact of the event or to the fact that the resignation was rehearsed.  

Flashbulb memory can be explained using the multi-store model, along with levels of processing and cue-dependency. The multi-store model, by Atkinson and Shiffirin, shows us that we enter information as sound, visual etc into the short term memory and if we rehearse this information  it will go to the long term memory, if not it will be lost. Therefore after a significant event such as Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 or Margaret Thatcher’s resignation in 1990, one is likely to recall this event many times, in conversation for example. This means aspects of this event are being rehearsed and go to the long term memory.

Levels of processing is the extent to which something is processed. Therefore, important events such as the assassination and resignation are important so are likely to be deeply processed on a semantic level, focussing on their meaning, and leading to this information being remembered better. Cue dependency is when information is stored in memory but cannot be retrieved because of inadequate retrieval cues. However, a dramatic event for example the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963 can be a cue to help one remember minor details at that time.

Flashbulb memory can help us remember minor peripheral details such as what one was doing or wearing at the time of the event or how they were feeling and where they were.  There is also a lot of experimental research to back up the theory of flashbulb memory such as Cohen et al (1994) and Brown and Kulik (1977). Along with the knowledge of cognitive approach e.g. Multi-store model and levels of processing.