Brown and Kulik 1977 Flashcards
(7 cards)
my study for
Research methods used in the cognitive approach.
One theory of how emotion may affect one cognitive process.
flashbulb memories
Brown & Kulik proposed that some events can be remembered as though our mind had photographed them - what they called flashbulb memories.
They argued that these memories were caused when the event not only was surprising but was of personal relevance to the life of the individual.
participants
40 black and 40 white American male participants
procedure
the 80 participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding the deaths of famous important public figures, such as Martin Luther King Jr
where they asked a number of questions regarding the event, such as
- when were you when you heard abt the event
- how important was this event in your life
-
results
The researchers found that 90% of the participants recalled a significant amount of detail about the day when these events occurred. Most participants had very detailed memories of the death of a loved one.
there was a difference in their memories of the assassination of public officials, based on the personal relevance of the event to the participant. 75% of black participants had flashbulb memories of the murder of Martin Luther King, compared to 33% of white participants.
weaknesses
The study is an interview/questionnaire, which means that it cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship between in-group identity (white vs African American) and flashbulb memories.
The questionnaire was retrospective in nature - that is, it was self-reported data that relied on the memory of the individual and could not be verified for accuracy by the researchers.
The actual level of surprise or emotion at the moment of the historical event cannot be measured or verified.
It is not possible to actually measure the role of rehearsal in the creation of memories.
the ppl may have been acting out of demand characteristics - social desirebility effect
- sampling bias - only americans were samples
strengths
- easily replicable which could let us know whether its reliable
