The DOI matches its Crossref record; 31 of the 31 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Flashbulb Memories
Open accessAbstract
We review and analyze the key theories, debates, findings, and omissions of the existing literature on flashbulb memories (FBMs), including what factors affect their formation, retention, and degree of confidence. We argue that FBMs do not require special memory mechanisms and are best characterized as involving both forgetting and mnemonic distortions, despite a high level of confidence. Factual memories for FBM-inducing events generally follow a similar pattern. Although no necessary and sufficient factors straightforwardly account for FBM retention, media attention particularly shapes memory for the events themselves. FBMs are best characterized in term of repetitions, even of mnemonic distortions, whereas event memories evidence corrections. The bearing of this literature on social identity and traumatic memories is also discussed.
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“Numerous behavioral cognitive studies have observed dissociations between memory accuracy and memory confidence [89–95].”
From First-person view of one’s body in immersive virtual reality: Influence on episodic memory (2019) · cites this paper as [95]
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“This finding is in line with several studies showing that confidence in everyday, non-arousing EM, measured by remember/know paradigms and recollection questionnaires, declines together with the objective memory performance [95,108,111].”
From First-person view of one’s body in immersive virtual reality: Influence on episodic memory (2019) · cites this paper as [95]
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Psychological Sequelae of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks in New York City
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Phenomenal characteristics of memories for perceived and imagined autobiographical events.
Johnson, M. K., Foley, M. A., Suengas, A. G., & Raye, C. L. (1988) · Journal of Experimental Psychology General · doi:10.1037/0096-3445.117.4.371 · Cited by 1,046
Memory Observed: Remembering in Natural Contexts
Neisser, U. (1982) · Cited by 1,000
Confidence, Not Consistency, Characterizes Flashbulb Memories
Talarico, J. M., & Rubin, D. C. (2003) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/1467-9280.02453 · Cited by 638
Phantom flashbulbs: False recollections of hearing the news about Challenger
Neisser, U., & Harsch, N. (1992) · Affect and Accuracy in Recall · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511664069.003 · Cited by 493 · cited 1×
“They obtained recollections as soon after a major, emotionally charged public event occurred as they could, and then after a substantial delay, usually a few months (e.g., Bohannon & Symons, 1992; Neisser & Harsh, 1992).”
BackgroundRubin, D. C., & Kozin, M. (1984) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/0010-0277(84)90037-4 · Cited by 334
The formation of flashbulb memories
Conway, M. A., Anderson, S. J., Larsen, S. F., Donnelly, C. M., McDaniel, M. A., McClelland, A. G. R., Rawles, R. E., & Logie, R. H. (1994) · Memory & Cognition · doi:10.3758/bf03200860 · Cited by 319
Is there a special flashbulb-memory mechanism?
McCloskey, M. E., Wible, C. G., & Cohen, N. J. (1988) · Journal of Experimental Psychology General · doi:10.1037/0096-3445.117.2.171 · Cited by 255
Hirst, W. C., Phelps, E. A., Meksin, R., Vaidya, C. J., Johnson, M. K., Mitchell, K., Buckner, R. L., Budson, A. E., Gabrieli, J. D. E., Lustig, C., et al. (2015) · Journal of Experimental Psychology General · doi:10.1037/xge0000055 · Cited by 251
Self-citation
Research works printed but not linked: 6
- Berntsen D., 2009, Flashbulb memories: New issues and new perspectives, 197
- 10.1016/0010-0277(77)90018-X · DOI · Paper page
- Curci A., 2009, Flashbulb memories: New issues and new perspectives
- Luminet O., 2009, Flashbulb memories: New issues and new perspectives
- Pillemer D. B., 2009, Flashbulb memories: New issues and new perspectives, 125
- Talarico J. M., 2009, Flashbulb memories: New issues and new perspectives, 79
Cited by
Sorted by citations
First-person view of one’s body in immersive virtual reality: Influence on episodic memory
Bréchet, L., Mange, R., Herbelin, B., Theillaud, Q., Gauthier, B., Serino, A., & Blanke, O. (2019) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0197763 · Cited by 85
Forgetting and emotion regulation in mental health, anxiety and depression
Nørby, S. (2017) · Memory · doi:10.1080/09658211.2017.1346130 · Cited by 72
Tena, M. Á. M., Monferrer, D., Estrada, M. M., & Vidal‐Meliá, L. (2023) · Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services · doi:10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103290 · Cited by 81
Lima, M. S. P., Oliveira, J. E. L., de Nóbrega, M. F., & Lopes, P. F. M. (2017) · Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine · doi:10.1186/s13002-017-0156-9 · Cited by 67
Cognitive-Motor Dual Task Interference Effects on Declarative Memory: A Theory-Based Review
Tomporowski, P. D., & Qazi, A. S. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01015 · Cited by 58
Metadata
- Authors
- Hirst, W., & Phelps, E. A.
- Affiliations
- The New School (US)
- New York University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hirst, William
- Venue
- Current Directions in Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2016-02
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 36-41
- ISSN
- 0963-7214 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-8721
- PMC
- PMC4795959
- OpenAlex
- W4249075521
- Cited by
- 105
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 7.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Current Directions in Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH066972)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Memory, History, Trauma, Identity
- Keywords
- flashbulb memory, memory confidence, memory retention, forgetting, media attention, event memory, traumatic memory, social identity
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