Remembering the Super-Typhoon: Some, but Not All, Qualities of First-Hand Survivor Memories of Natural Disaster Are Similar to Near Death Experience and Flashbulb Memory Accounts

Abstract

The strongest storm in Philippines history, super-typhoon Haiyan, barreled through central Philippines in 2013 and left a high death toll and extensive destruction in its wake. Past studies have investigated Fading Affect Bias (FAB) in extremely negative situations like the death of a loved one and found that the FAB generally occurs in those extreme situations, but this study is the first to assess FAB in first-hand memories for a natural disaster survival situation. The FAB phenomenon is the tendency for emotional intensity associated with negative memories for events to fade over time and emotional intensity for positive events stays relatively stable over time. Researchers collected memories for the super-typhoon from survivors three years after the event. Results showed that negative emotional intensity for the event faded after the event. Emotion in comparison positive memories for non-typhoon events did not fade, and emotion in comparison negative memories faded, following results in several other FAB studies. The Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) was used as an initial assessment of mood before the study began, and PANAS scores reliably predicted current emotional intensity scores. Memory vividness and emotional intensity in first-hand accounts of a natural disaster experience behave like vividness and intensity in flashbulb memories, but details in first-hand accounts are similar to the amount of details in memories of near-death experiences. How memory rehearsal behaves in relation to time elapsed since event has yet to be captured for first-hand survival experiences.

Lived Experience of Survivors during Semeru’s Mount Eruption in East Java, Indonesia

“…Grief Response Natural disasters and human-caused disasters are common events that often occur worldwide (X. Wang et al, 2021) which not only cause death and economic loss but also leave severe negative emotions for those who experience them (Bond et al, 2021;Huang & Gan, 2018;Kannis-Dymand et al, 2021;Tang et al, 2017). Most of the affected population has various psychological reactions.…”

The COVID‐19 pandemic disrupted the healthy fading of emotions in autobiographical memory mediated via in‐person social disclosures

“…How will our autobiographical memory system, so efficient at protecting us from persistent negative emotions, deal with such an event? Bond et al (2021) examined the impact of a large scale negative event upon the FAB, by exploring how positive and negative emotions associated with memories of the super typhoon in the Philippines in 2013 faded over time. As would be predicted based on the FAB literature, negative emotions associated with memories of the super typhoon faded, whilst emotions associated with pleasant events not related to the typhoon were maintained.…”

Emotional processing of sadness and disgust evoked by disaster scenes

“…Natural disasters and manmade accidents are common occurrences around the globe (Reifels, 2018; Roudini et al., 2017). Disasters not only cause death and economic losses but also leave severe negative emotions on those who experience them (Bond et al., 2020; Huang & Gan, 2018; Kannis‐Dymand et al., 2020; Reifels et al., 2013; Tang et al., 2017). Surveys show that disasters affect personal life and social communication for a long time, and may even cause mental illness (Berking & Wupperman, 2012; Geraerts & McNally, 2008; Kannis‐Dymand et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2016).…”

“…Across disasters, the most frequently reported negative emotions were fear and panic (Bond et al., 2020; Gruebner et al., 2018; Larson & Shin, 2018; Massazza et al., 2020). In fact, the sadness and disgust evoked by disaster scenes cannot be ignored.…”

“…This issue is also a focus of this study. The long latency ERP component reflects the enhanced stimulus processing and is thought to be closely related to memory encoding and cognition (Bond et al., 2020; Geraerts & McNally, 2008; Huang & Gan, 2018; Kannis‐Dymand et al., 2020; Lu et al., 2016; Olofsson et al., 2008). Pictures with high arousal or motivational significance have been shown to evoke larger amplitudes of LPC or LPP, such as erotic, mutilation, and threat images (Lu et al., 2016; Olofsson et al., 2008; Weinberg & Hajcak, 2010; Wheaton et al., 2013).…”