Affect and Accuracy in Recall Studies of 'Flashbulb' Memories [Hardcover]

A fascinating 1993 study of 'flashbulb' memories, those formed by unexpected or emotional events.A fascinating 1993 study of 'flashbulb' memories, those formed by unexpected or emotional events. The book is based on a study of people's memories of the Challenger explosion and compares the vividness and longevity of these 'flashbulb' memories with those of normal events.A fascinating 1993 study of 'flashbulb' memories, those formed by unexpected or emotional events. The book is based on a study of people's memories of the Challenger explosion and compares the vividness and longevity of these 'flashbulb' memories with those of normal events.Recollections of unexpected and emotional events (called flashbulb memories) have long been the subject of theoretical speculation. The fourth Emory Symposium on Cognition brought together everyone who has done research on memories of the Challenger explosion, in order to gain better understanding of the phenomenon of flashbulb memories: How do flashbulb memories compare with other kinds of recollections? Are they unusually accurate, or especially long-lived? Do they reflect the activity of a special mechanism, as has been suggested? The book also addresses more general issues of affect and accuracy: Do emotion and arousal strengthen memory? If so, under what conditions? By what physiological mechanisms?Preface; List of contributors; 1. Introduction Eugene Winograd; Part I. Empirical Studies: 2. Phantom flashbulbs: false recollections of hearing the news about Challenger Ulric Neisser and Nicole Harsch; 3. Potential flashbulbs: memories of ordinary news as the baseline Steen F. Larsen; 4. Flashbulb memories: confidence, consistency, and quantity John Neil Bohannon III and Victoria Louise Symons; Part II. Developmental Studies: 5. Developmental issues in flashbulb memory research: children recall the Challenger event Amye Richelle Warren and Jeffery N. Swartwood; 6. Preschool children's memories of personal circumstances: tl³D