The first emotional factor in forgetting is flashbulb memory (FBs)

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Memory.

Seminar essay 2: forgetting.

The first emotional factor in forgetting is flashbulb memory (FBs). This is a memory where an individual has a detailed and enduring recollection of the context in which they first heard about a personally important event.

Psychological research has told us about the role of FBs. For instance, in 1977, Brown and Kulik wanted to identify what kind of events generated FBs. They suspected that the national events were likely to generate FBs, but that they may be differences between white and black Americans in what events triggered them.

They asked 40 white and 40 black Americans to fill out a questionnaire. Participants answered advertisements in newspapers and therefore were a volunteer sample. The questionnaire consisted of a list of 10 events about assassinations, attempted assassinations and other important events. For each event, participants were asked 'do you recall the circumstances in which you first heard that...'. If they answered 'no', they moved onto the next event. If they answered 'yes', the participant was asked to free recall the circumstances in any form or order.
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Brown and Kulik found that white people had greater recall for events concerning white individuals and black people had greater recall for events concerning black individuals.

From doing this study, Brown and Kulik suggest that both consequence and surprise are characteristics of biologically important events, and this may lie behind the reason we have FBs.

In 1998 Cahill and McGaugh further suggested that surprising events create increased hormone levels because they are emotionally arousing. Such hormones have been known to create stronger memories.

One explanation for FBs, then, is that high emotional arousal creates more ...

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