Flashbulb Memories? The Effects of When the Initial Memory Report was Obtained

Why have some researchers found reports of flashbulb memories to be stable, while others have observed inconsistencies? Paradoxically, it appears that relatively long delays between event and initial documentation have produced greater consistency of participants\u27 reports. To investigate this directly, we collected the initial documentation of hearing about O.J. Simpson\u27s acquittal either five hours or one week after the acquittal was read. Observed consistency of memories varied as a function of documentation time; following an eight-week retention, the delayed reports were more consistent. The delayed group also reported fewer propositions in their initial documentation. We proposed a consolidation model to explain these results: during the days immediately following a newsworthy event, the narrative structure of these memories changes in that some details are forgotten. After this consolidation period, the memories may solidify. Thus, it may have been easier for the delayed group to provide consistent memories at the two intervals

A mega-analysis of memory reports from eight peer-reviewed false memory implantation studies

Understanding that suggestive practices can promote false beliefs and false memories forchildhood events is important in many settings (e.g., psychotherapeutic, medical, legal). The generalizability of findings from memory implantation studies has been questioned due to variability in estimates across studies. Such variability is partly due to false memories having been operationalized differently across studies and to differences in memory induction techniques. We explored ways of defining false memory based on memory science and developed a reliable coding system that we applied to reports from eight published implantation studies (N=423). Independent raters coded transcripts using seven criteria: accepting the suggestion, elaboration beyond the suggestion, imagery, coherence, emotion, memory statements, and not rejecting the suggestion. Using this scheme, 30.4% of cases were classified as false memories and another 23% were classified as having accepted the event to some degree. When the suggestion included self-relevant information, an imagination procedure, and was not accompanied by a photo depicting the event, the memory formation rate was 46.1%. Our research demonstrates a useful procedure for systematically combining data that are not amenable to meta-analysis, and provides the most valid estimate of false memory formation and associated moderating factors within the implantation literature to date

Flashbulb memories? The effects of when the initial memory report was obtained

Whyhave someresearchers found reports of flashbulbmemories to be stable, while others haveobserved inconsistencies? Paradoxically, it appears that relatively long delays between event and initial doc-umentation have produced greater consistency of participants ’ reports. To investigate this directly, we collectedthe initial documentationofhearingaboutO.J. Simpson’s acquittal either fivehoursor oneweek after the acquittal was read. Observed consistency of memories varied as a function of documentation time; followinganeight-weekretention, thedelayedreportsweremore consistent. Thedelayedgroupalso reported fewer propositions in their initial documentation.Weproposeda consolidationmodel toexplain these results: during the days immediately following a newsworthy event, the narrative structure of these memories changes in that some details are forgotten. After this consolidation period, thememories may solidify. Thus, it may have been easier for the delayed group to provide consistent memories at the two intervals. When asking people where they were when they heard that President Kennedy had been shot, Brown and Kulik (1977) observed long-lasting, detailed memories. They proposed that suc

Failure to see money on a tree: inattentional blindness for objects that guided behavior

How is it possible to drive home and have no awareness of the trip? We documented a new form of inattentional blindness in which people fail to become aware of obstacles that had guided their behavior. In our first study, we found that people talking on cell phones while walking waited longer to avoid an obstacle and were less likely to be aware that they had avoided an obstacle than other individual walkers. In our second study, cell phone talkers and texters were less likely to show awareness of money on a tree over the pathway they were traversing. Nonetheless, they managed to avoid walking into the money tree. Perceptual information may be processed in two distinct pathways – one guiding behavior and the other leading to awareness. We observed that people can appropriately use information to guide behavior without awareness