PSYC-110N Week 3 Assignment: Flashbulb Memories (GRADED)

Running Head: FLASHBULB MEMORY 1 Review of Flashbulb Memory Chamberlain College of Nursing PSYC 110N – Psychology FLASHBULB MEMORY 2 Memory is ve ...

Running Head: FLASHBULB MEMORY 1 Review of Flashbulb Memory Chamberlain College of Nursing PSYC 110N – Psychology FLASHBULB MEMORY 2 Memory is very important in the daily life of every individual, without memory we cannot do or learn nothing. “Psychologist considers memory to be the process by which we encode, store and retrieve information”(Robert Feldman, 2018, P-202). Encoding refers to taking information and the transformation of this information to be process by the brain. Storage is the deposition of this information into the brain and retrieval is to be able to recall the information and put it to use. There are 3-sub systems that memory can be distinguished into; they are namely, sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term memory. The information taken in sensory receptors are being stores in the sensory memory and then moved and process into the short-term memory. The long-term memory has a very large capacity to store a lot of information compared to the short-term memory because we store more information everyday in the long-term memory. Long-term memory is really what makes leaning and intelligence possible. The long-term memory has 3 basic subdivisions, semantic memory, episodal memory and procedural memory. Since episodal memory is a memory for events that occur at a particular time, place or context (Feldman, 2018), then Flashbulb memories, fall indirectly under episodal memory and therefore is a type of long-term memory. Flashbulb memory is a clear, lasting memory of a surprising and shocking event and it involves memory for the source of event information it self (Davidson Patrick. S. P. at al, 2005). It should be noted that flashback memories do not contain all information about the memory of an event. The more personal an event is the more detailed will be the memory of that event because of the surprise and strong emotion attached to it. Moreover, more research and various studies about flashbulb memories as shown that these memories can change over time, when people go through other experiences of life (Nichole Kirkpatrick, 2018). FLASHBULB MEMORY 3 From another perspective, it is possible to have some numbers of flashbulb memories but there are some that we can still remember vividly even though it has happen for a long period of time. It comes back especially when similar thing experienced on that event come to place. The Important characteristics of flashbulb memories are location, ongoing activities, informant, personal effect, other effect and aftermath (Brown and kulik 1977). A flashbulb memory from my personal experience goes thus; it was a sunny afternoon on the 2nd day in the month of January, year 2000 when I was heading to my father’s store, I was walking or strolling by the side of the road. I can remember that I was not feeling good on that day and planned to take a pain relieve as soon as I got to the store. Then I heard a loud scream which made me to looked back to see a car speeding out of control towards me, then it all went blank. The next thing I felt was an acute pain from my shoulder down to my elbows, on opening my eyes I saw my mum and sister talking to someone, then looking around me I realized I was in the hospital. This was my first accident and the first time I was admitted in the hospital. I spent 5 days in the hospital and was treated for malaria and at the same time went through a surgery for my arm. Relating this event to the characteristics of flashbulb memory, I can remember: a. The location: side of the road and hospital b. Ongoing activity: I was walking or strolling c. Informant: was the person that screamed d. Personal effect was seeing a car speeding towards me e. Other effect: was the acute pain I felt and I was surprised on how I got to the hospital without even realizing how I got there. FLASHBULB MEMORY 4 f. The aftermath was that when I walk along the side of the road I always face the on coming vehicles so I can move very fast in case of any issue or unexpected circumstances and when I am sick or not feeling good I stay indoors. Also I have a scar on my arm and still have pains on my right arm when lift a very heavy object. FLASHBULB MEMORY 5 References Brown, R & Kulik, J. (1977). Flashbulb memories. Cognition 5(1), 73-99 Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0277(77)90018-X Davidson, P. S., Cook, S. P., Glisky, E. L., Verfaellie, M., & Rapcsak, S. Z. (2005). Source memory in the real world: a neuropsychological study of flashbulb memory. Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology, 27(7), 915–929. doi:10.1080/13803390490919335. Feldman, R. (2018). Understanding Psychology. [Vital Source Bookshelf]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781260883817/ Kirkpatrick, N. ( 2018). What is flashback memory? Retrieved from https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/memory/what-is-a-flashbulb-memory/