Flashbulb Memory Research Paper

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Running header: Flashbulb Memories The Psychology of Flashbulb Memories Anthony E. McCaffity Walden University Cognitive Psychology (PSYC-8237-2) Instructor: Dr. Michael Durnam November 20, 2011 Abstract Thinking incorporates a vast set of cognitive processes employed to facilitate learning and the subsequent development of behavior. Cognitive psychology focuses on the mental processes utilized for human beings to engage and function in their environment. Memory is one of the cognitive processes influencing thought and mental acuity. A process of that includes encoding specific information to respond to a stimulus. Memory is also the process of simultaneously using newly acquired information to accomplish differing cognitive…show more content…
The factor of emotions is also known to play a major role in the accuracy of vivid details. Chen, 2011 has suggested that when emotions are high it become a wedge between accuracy and confidence. This is believed to have an impact on the accuracy of details that is being recalled. To support the theory that flashbulb memories do decline over a period of time, many researcher have explored several past and present events such as the assassination of President Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., the assassination attempt on President Reagan and the terrorist attack of 9/11(Davidson, ET AL, (2006). Not all events used in the research have been traumatic, some on considered normal events like the Presidential election of Obama or the resignation of Prime Minister Thatcher. Another fact that researchers have found that is another major role is the distance of the event, as well as the rehearsal of the details. Both factors are believed to be major contributors of the accuracy. Based on the stated research information flashbulb memories do decline with in a period of time. In one such study flashbulb memories were found to have declined over an 11 to 26 month interval. To add these memories were also shown to decline within 1 hour when performed in a laboratory setting. This study also found that there was an even…show more content…
Within this region of the MTL/D, the long-term memory was impaired when present with information of the events, but was able to recall more information overtime versus the FL. This research has found that long term memory, too, has a significant impact on flash bulb memories, as well as on cognition and plays an integral role in everyday functioning. Hershey, Craft, Glauser, and Hale (1998) demonstrate the importance of long term memory by assessing children suffering neurological dysfunction of the temporal lobe. In a study on children with epilepsy, several recall tests were administered to fifteen participants with epilepsy and fifteen without. Results showed that children with epilepsy displayed significant deficits in recall and retaining information over a period of time. This study shows how other cognitive abilities are affected when the process of long term memory is

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