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Curci A, Battista F, Lanciano T, d'Ovidio FD, Conway MA. The reminiscence bump and the self: evidence from five studies on positive and negative memories. Memory 2024:1-19. [PMID: 38451240 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2024.2325522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
A plethora of studies have shown that people persistently remember public and personal events experienced during adolescence and early adulthood, particularly with a positive valence. In five studies, we investigate the reminiscence bump (RB) for positive and negative memories of public events (Studies 1 and 2), private events (Study 3), music-related events (Study 4), and cross-cultural memory differences (i.e., China and US) (Study 5). Participants retrieved either one positive or one negative memory, indicated their Age of Encoding, and provided secondary measures, i.e., memory vividness and rehearsal (Studies 1 and 3) and emotional intensity (Studies 2 and 4). About 10,000 memories were collected and positive memories appeared generally older than negative recollections, but the RB emerged for both positive and negative memories. Furthermore, the peak was earlier for positive memories of public events (<15 years old) than for negative memories (20-40 years), while no differences were found for private events or music-related experiences (15-25 years). Chinese had their RB later than US respondents. Finally, autobiographical recollections have moderate to low associations with secondary measures of phenomenological features of memory. These findings are consistent with the identity-formation theory, providing additional and important information on the development of the Self.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonietta Curci
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Fabiana Battista
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Tiziana Lanciano
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | | | - Martin A Conway
- Department of Psychology, City University of London, London, UK
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Lanciano T, Alfeo F, Curci A, Marin C, D'Uggento AM, Decarolis D, Öner S, Anthony K, Barzykowski K, Bascón M, Benavides A, Cabildo A, de la Mata-Benítez ML, Ergen İ, Filip K, Gofman A, Janssen SMJ, Kai-Bin Z, Markostamou I, Matías-García JA, Nourkova V, Oleksiak S, Santamaría A, Szpunar K, Taylor A, Watson LA, Zheng J. The flashbulb-like nature of memory for the first COVID-19 case and the impact of the emergency. A cross-national survey. Memory 2024; 32:264-282. [PMID: 38315731 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2024.2310554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Flashbulb memories (FBMs) refer to vivid and long-lasting autobiographical memories for the circumstances in which people learned of a shocking and consequential public event. A cross-national study across eleven countries aimed to investigate FBM formation following the first COVID-19 case news in each country and test the effect of pandemic-related variables on FBM. Participants had detailed memories of the date and others present when they heard the news, and had partially detailed memories of the place, activity, and news source. China had the highest FBM specificity. All countries considered the COVID-19 emergency as highly significant at both the individual and global level. The Classification and Regression Tree Analysis revealed that FBM specificity might be influenced by participants' age, subjective severity (assessment of COVID-19 impact in each country and relative to others), residing in an area with stringent COVID-19 protection measures, and expecting the pandemic effects. Hierarchical regression models demonstrated that age and subjective severity negatively predicted FBM specificity, whereas sex, pandemic impact expectedness, and rehearsal showed positive associations in the total sample. Subjective severity negatively affected FBM specificity in Turkey, whereas pandemic impact expectedness positively influenced FBM specificity in China and negatively in Denmark.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Lanciano
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Federica Alfeo
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonietta Curci
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Claudia Marin
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | | | | | - Sezin Öner
- Department of Psychology, Kadir Has University, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Kristine Anthony
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia
| | - Krystian Barzykowski
- Applied Memory Research Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Miguel Bascón
- Laboratory of Human Activity, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Alec Benavides
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Anne Cabildo
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - İrem Ergen
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Katarzyna Filip
- Applied Memory Research Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Alena Gofman
- Department of Psychology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Steve M J Janssen
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia
| | - Zhao Kai-Bin
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Psychological Science, Zhengzhou Normal University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Ioanna Markostamou
- Division of Psychology, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
- Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK
| | - Jose Antonio Matías-García
- Laboratory of Human Activity, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Veronika Nourkova
- Department of Psychology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sebastian Oleksiak
- Applied Memory Research Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Andrés Santamaría
- Laboratory of Human Activity, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Karl Szpunar
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Andrea Taylor
- School of Psychology, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Lynn Ann Watson
- Center for Autobiographical Memory Research, Department of Psychology and Behavioural Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jin Zheng
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Psychological Science, Zhengzhou Normal University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
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Cheriet N, Topçu M, Hirst W, Bastin C, Folville A. A day that America will remember: flashbulb memory, collective memory, and future thinking for the capitol riots. Memory 2023; 31:715-731. [PMID: 36943843 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2023.2190570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACTThis study explores the topics of flashbulb memory, collective identity, future thinking, and shared representations for a public event. We assessed the memories of the Capitol Riots, which happened in Washington DC, on 6 January 2021. Seventy Belgian and seventy-nine American citizens participated in an online study, in which they freely recalled the unfolding of Capitol Riots and answered questions regarding their memory. Inter-subjects similarity of recalled details was analysed using a schematic narrative template (i.e., the event, the causes and the consequences). Results revealed that representations of the event, and its causes were more similar among Belgians compared to Americans, whereas Americans' representations of the consequences showed more similarity than Belgians'. Also, as expected, Americans reported more flashbulb memories (FBMs) than Belgians. The analysis underlined the importance of rehearsal through media and communication in FBM formation. This research revealed a novel relation between FBM and future representations. Regardless of national identity, participants who formed an FBM were more likely to think that the event would be remembered in the future, that the government should memorialise the event, and that a similar attack on the Capitol could happen in the future compared to participants who did not form FBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nawël Cheriet
- GIGA-CRC In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Meymune Topçu
- New School for Social Research, University of New School, New-York, NY, USA
| | - William Hirst
- New School for Social Research, University of New School, New-York, NY, USA
| | - Christine Bastin
- GIGA-CRC In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- F.R.S.-Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Adrien Folville
- GIGA-CRC In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- F.R.S.-Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, Bruxelles, Belgium
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Curci A, Lanciano T, Curtotti D, Sartori G. Lessons for the courtroom from the study of Flashbulb memory: an integrative review. Memory 2020; 28:441-449. [PMID: 32046596 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2020.1727522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In legal proceedings, when no corroboration is possible with external sources of evidence, judges and jurors derive from their own experience the criteria to ascertain if a memory report is accurate and a witness credible. These legal criteria closely resemble the aspects traditionally investigated by literature on Flashbulb memory (i.e., consistency, confidence, quantity), but have failed to obtain a generalised consensus within the scientific community. Drawing up a set of univocal rules upon which to base a conclusion regarding witnesses' credibility is a difficult task, from both legal and scientific points of view. Respectful cooperation between cognitive science and criminal law will encompass both technical support by expert witnesses, and updating guidelines for fact-finders. This cooperation would prevent the risk of common sense fallacies in the legal process, preserving the legal autonomy to evaluate witness credibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonietta Curci
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Tiziana Lanciano
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Sartori
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Lanciano T, Curci A, Matera G, Sartori G. Measuring the flashbulb-like nature of memories for private events: the flashbulb memory checklist. Memory 2018; 26:1053-1064. [PMID: 29366357 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1428348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
What do we remember following an emotionally charged event? The assessment of memory characteristics for an emotional event represents one of the most challenging issues in the domain of autobiographical memory. Literature of flashbulb memories (FBMs) provides a crucial contribution on this issue: Following an emotional and unexpected public event, people remember not only central details of the episode, but also irrelevant, peripheral and idiosyncratic details of the reception context in which they learned of the news. The present study was set up to assess the factorial structure (samples 1 and 2) and convergent validity (sample 2) of an FBM checklist, an instrument designed to measure Flashbulb-like features of memories for emotional private events. Factorial analyses account for an oblique two-factor solution - FBM Specificity and Confidence - while correlational analyses support the convergent validity of this instrument. Practical implications are discussed, especially for the credibility assessment of witnesses of emotional events in forensic settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Lanciano
- a Department of Education, Psychology, Communication , University of Bari "A. Moro" , Bari , Italy
| | - Antonietta Curci
- a Department of Education, Psychology, Communication , University of Bari "A. Moro" , Bari , Italy
| | - Grazia Matera
- a Department of Education, Psychology, Communication , University of Bari "A. Moro" , Bari , Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sartori
- b Department of General Psychology , University of Padua , Padua , Italy
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