Long-term memory for the terrorist attack of September 11: flashbulb memories, event memories, and the factors that influence their retention.
More than 3,000 individuals from 7 U.S. cities reported on their memories of learning of the terrorist attacks of September 11, as well as details about the attack, 1 week, 11 months, and/or 35 months after the assault. Some studies of flashbulb memories examining long-term retention show slowing in the rate of forgetting after a year, whereas others demonstrate accelerated forgetting. This article indicates that (a) the rate of forgetting for flashbulb memories and event memory (memory for details about the event itself) slows after a year, (b) the strong emotional reactions elicited by flashbulb events are remembered poorly, worse than nonemotional features such as where and from whom one learned of the attack, and (c) the content of flashbulb and event memories stabilizes after a year. The results are discussed in terms of community memory practices.
Hirst
William
W
Department of Psychology, New School for Social Research, New York, NY 10011, USA. hirst@newschool.edu
Phelps
Elizabeth A
EA
Buckner
Randy L
RL
Budson
Andrew E
AE
Cuc
Alexandru
A
Gabrieli
John D E
JD
Johnson
Marcia K
MK
Lustig
Cindy
C
Lyle
Keith B
KB
Mather
Mara
M
Meksin
Robert
R
Mitchell
Karen J
KJ
Ochsner
Kevin N
KN
Schacter
Daniel L
DL
Simons
Jon S
JS
Vaidya
Chandan J
CJ
D003625:Data Collection; D004644:Emotions; D005246:Feedback; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D011939:Mental Recall; D010469:Perceptual Distortion; D011936:Reality Testing; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D047851:September 11 Terrorist Attacks / Q000523:psychology*