Flashbulb memory for 11 September 2001

Abstract

The recollection of particularly salient, surprising or consequential events is often called ‘flashbulb memories’. We tested people's autobiographical memory for details of 11 September 2001 by gathering a large national random sample (N = 678) of people's reports immediately following the attacks, and then by contacting them twice more, in September 2002 and August 2003. Three novel findings emerged. First, memory consistency did not vary as a function of demographic variables such as gender, geographical location, age or education. Second, memory consistency did not vary as a function of whether memory was tested before or after the 1‐year anniversary of the event, suggesting that media coverage associated with the anniversary did not impact memory. Third, the conditional probability of consistent recollection in 2003 given consistent recollection in 2002 was p = .73. In contrast, the conditional probability of consistent recollection in 2003 given inconsistent recollection in 2002 was p = .18. Finally, and in agreement with several prior studies, confidence in memory far exceeded consistency in the long term. Also, those respondents who revealed evidence for consistent flashbulb memory experienced more anxiety in response to the event, and engaged in more covert rehearsal than respondents who did not reveal evidence for consistent flashbulb memory. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Emotion and autobiographical memory

“…For one, they are often recalled with great feelings of vividness and rich sensory and perceptual detail (e.g., Brewer, 1996; Rubin & Kozin, 1984; Wright & Gaskell, 1992; Conway, 1990). Indeed, retrieving such vivid details can lead to the feeling that one has mentally time traveled to the past and is re-experiencing an event (Rubin, 2005), a phenomenon termed autonoetic memory by Tulving (1985).…”

Heroic Memory: Remembering the Details of Others' Heroism in the Aftermath of a Traumatic Public Event Can Foster Our Own Prosocial Response

“…After 9/11, there was a flurry of research on how people remembered terror attacks (e.g., Budson et al, 2007;Conway, Skitka, Hemmerich, & Kershaw, 2009;Hirst et al, 2009;Luminet et al, 2004;Talarico & Rubin, 2003). The focus in much of this work has been on how phenomenology (e.g., emotional intensity and sensory details), confidence, and consistency of these memories change over time.…”

Investigating the Psychological Effects of News Imagery: A Case for Evidence-based Decision Making and Practices

“…Most people have an exceptionally vivid reminiscence of an important event or occurrence. Common examples of these types of events are the assassination of President Kennedy (Brown & Kulik, 1977), the attack on President Reagan (Pillemer, 1984), the space shuttle Challenger explosion (Bohannon, 1988), and the terrorist attacks of September 11 (Conway, Skitka, Hemmerich, & Kershaw, 2009). In these instances, people often feel like they remember not only all the details of the event but also where they were, what they were doing, who they were with, and even what they were wearing.…”