Where were you?

The Boomers had Kennedy's assassination, Generation X had the Challenger explosion, and we all have the 9-11 attack. Where were you when you heard about the Twin Towers on 9-11-01? Not surprisingly, this phenomenon is a topic of study in cognitive psychology called flashbulb memory. Such memories are characterized by vivid accounts of personal circumstances at the time a significant incident, usually a shocking event of national or international importance. This is a familiar experience for most people. Evidence suggests, however, that flashbulb memories aren't nearly as well preserved as people believe. I had a student tell me that she went home and read her diary from 9-11-01 after I lectured on flashbulb memory and she was shocked to learn that many of the details that she remembered were different from those she recorded at the time. One theory suggests that there is something different about such emotionally charged memories that makes them less susceptible to forgetting. I come from the theoretical tradition that shuns special status memories. The vividness of the memories likely results from repetitive retellings over time, which also explains the creeping loss of accuracy.