New insights into the formation and duration of flashbulb memories: Evidence from medical diagnosis memories

Abstract

Summary Flashbulb memories are vivid and salient memories for the moment one hears about a surprising, emotional, and significant event. The current research examined flashbulb memories for a loved one's medical diagnosis, focusing on individual and situational factors associated with memory development and endurance over time. An online survey collected memory narratives and subjective ratings from 309 mothers who received a diagnosis of Down syndrome for their child. Time since diagnosis ranged from 1 month to 52 years. Using two independent measures, the Flashbulb Memory Checklist and the Autobiographical Memory Questionnaire, we found that a majority of diagnosis memories qualified as flashbulb memories, even 20 years or more after the event. Importantly, support from the medical staff at diagnosis emerged as a critical variable related to flashbulb memory development and the persistence of these flashbulb memories over time.

Prenatal Genetic Diagnosis of a Sex Chromosome Aneuploidy: Parent Experiences

“…Additionally, a recent study found that the prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 21 constitutes a "flashbulb memory" (FBM); many parents report being able to recall details of the experience several years later (May et al, 2020). The persistence of the FBM was influenced by interactions with medical providers; diminishing of the FBM was associated with the receipt of positive medical support at the diagnosis.…”

Prenatal patient perceptions of receiving difficult news over the telephone

“…Flashbulb memories are described as vivid memories formed when an individual has an emotional or significant experience (Brown & Kulik, 1977; Hirst & Phelps, 2016). A survey of over 300 mothers who had received a diagnosis of Down syndrome for their child, demonstrated that flashbulb memories can last over 20 years following a significant event (May et al, 2020). In this study, an important factor impacting how these memories formed and persisted over time was the support that the patient received from their healthcare providers.…”

Weak correlations among 13 episodic memory tasks related to the same public event

“…Flashbulb memories are memories for the moment in which one first learned of a surprising and consequential event (Brown & Kulik, 1977). Flashbulb memories are so‐named because of their apparent photograph‐like quality and have been investigated for landmark public events like the death of Princess Diana (Hornstein et al, 2003) or the 9/11 terrorist attacks (Hirst et al, 2009), as well as important personal events like the death of a family member (Rubin & Kozin, 1984) or a serious medical diagnosis (May et al, 2020). While the mechanisms behind flashbulb memories are still debated (see Hirst & Phelps, 2016 for a review), research has demonstrated that they are recalled with greater confidence than everyday memories, but not necessarily with any greater accuracy (Talarico & Rubin, 2003).…”