Flashbulb Memory

The theory of flashbulb memories is one that you've never heard of before entering Psychology class but actually makes a lot of sense now that you think about it. It involves the idea that certain intense memories create snapshots of vividness in your memory, so that you remember them in much more detail than others.

The Original Research
Originally, the theory of flashbulb memories proposed by Brown & Kulik (1977) demonstrated that once an event triggered certain levels of surprise, it created a permanent record of the details and circumstances surrounding the experience. For example, if you were to find out that Mr. Meltzer had been assassinated one day, you would be so shocked that in the future, you would remember exactly where you were and what you had been doing when you heard the terribly sad news. This conjecture was known as the special-mechanism hypothesis.

Modern Interpretations
These days, science has gotten slightly more advanced than it was in 1977. We now mostly accept a moden known as the importance-driven model, which suggests that the intensity of emotional reaction and memory formulation is based upon the personal importance that an event has for you. For example, finding out that Mr. Meltzer had been assassinated would be a much stronger memory than finding out that Aidan had been assassinated because Mr. Meltzer is our beloved teacher and is the most important being in all of our lives. Aidan, on the other hand, isn't.

Related Studies
We have looked at many studies regarding flashbulb memories. Like, so freaking many. Here are some of them.

Studies Supporting FBM Theory Studies Contradicting FBM Theory
 * Brown & Kulik (1977)
 * Berntsen & Thomsen (2005)
 * McCaugh & Cahill (1995)
 * Harsch & Neisser (1992)
 * Kulkoffsky et al. (2011)