Jim's Vivid: Flashbulb Memory

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In this essay I will be discussing Jim's vivid, yet incorrect, flashbulb memory of the day he found out his parents won the lottery, and why he so inaccurately recalled that day. This is not an uncommon occurrence for flashbulb memories. In fact, many studies have shown that people's recollection of life-changing events tend to get skewed over time. So, Jim can rest assured that he is not alone in this strange phenomenon of incorrect memory identification. Before I begin explaining some reasoning behind why Jim may have "made up" that very monumentous day, it's important to understand exactly what a flashbulb memory is. A flashbulb memory is a very emotional memory that seem to be extremely vivid, and people can recount them in amazing photographic …show more content…
Many people to this day can recall where they were and who they were with when they found out about the terrorist attacks on September 11. Still, these recollections might be inaccurate just as Jim's was. Next we will analyze why this is.

Research has shown time and time again that phantom flashbulb memories happen very frequently. Contrary to most beliefs, flashbulb memories are not a whole different kind of memories; they are essentially the same as any other memory, just more intense. This just highlights the idea that phantom flashbulb memories are just as susceptible to alterations over time as other memories, even though there are strong emotional connections to them. Memories can change for a variety of different reasons. In the case of a flashbulb memory, it is common for people to tell and retell the happenings of the event to many people. As the story gets retold, the teller might change little details in the memory, and eventually remember it only as their new story entails that it happened. It's possible that Jim recounted the day of his family's good fortune many times to his friends and family, and slowly his story developed into something completely different from the actual events. Another explanation for
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Essay On Flashbulb Memory

Explicit memories are memories we recall intentionally and of which we have conscious awareness. These memories can be either episodic (memories dealing with a specific episode in time.) or semantic (memories pertaining to general knowledge and that are decontextualized). In Jim’s case, his recollection of his memory of his parents winning the lottery is an episodic memory. Researchers have shown that our memories are more fallible than many of us thought to be possible. Commonly, we are very confident…

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