Brown and Kulik (n.d.) discuss the prevalence of so-called flashbulb memories and the evolutionary mechanisms that can be connected to them. Flashbulb memories refer to the detailed recollections of the events of high perceived significance that are strong enough so that the person can remember the accompanying circumstances years after (Brown & Kulik, n. d). The authors offer the assassination of John F. Kennedy as an example of an event creating a flashbulb memory. Brown and Kulik’s (n.d.) hypothesis is that flashbulb memories occur after the events one perceives as crucial for one’s biological survival and are directly connected to the evolutionary mechanism they call “Now print!” (63). The study testing this hypothesis asked a sample of 40 whites and 40 blacks to recall whether they had detailed memories of the deaths of ten political figures. The results confirmed that the black respondents had a higher incidence of memories of the deaths of politicians central to the Civil Rights struggles. The authors interpret these results as evidence of the “Print now!” mechanism that facilitates the remembrance of moments crucial for individual and group survival.
When the authors reflect on the results, they posit that the advances in telecommunication impact the occurrence of the “Print now!” response. Unlike the previous times, people do not have to immediately witness an event because an informant may bring news to them (Brown & Kulik, n. d). While it is an interesting point, the study design does not specifically contrast the memories of the events one witnessed personally and the events one learned about via informant. Addressing this topic based on the authors’ study seems premature, and other studies are to establish and analyze the difference or lack thereof.
Reference
Brown, R., & Kulik, J. (N.d.). Flashbulb memories. Adobe PDF file.