Influences of Digital Technology on Emotion and Cognition

Theory: Flashbulb Memories

• Definition: Vivid, enduring memories tied to surprising and emotionally charged events, resembling a mental photograph of the circumstances.
• Characteristics:
  • More memorable due to frequent recall and rehearsal.
  • Triggered by critical levels of surprise, forming a permanent record of details and context.
  • Differ from ordinary memories, often resistant to forgetting due to emotional and hormonal influences.
  • Hormones enhance vividness and recall, aiding survival by avoiding similar distressing situations in the future.

Technology's Role in Flashbulb Memories

• Impact: Technology, via images and media, can evoke strong emotional responses and promote event rehearsal.
• Global Access: Facilitates the creation of shared and stronger flashbulb memories.

Study 1: Schaefer et al. (2011)

• Aim: Investigate the influence of television versus personal communication on 9/11 memories.
• Sample: 38 University of Winnipeg students, average age 20.3 years; asked to recall the 9/11 event shortly after and six months later.
• Procedure:
  • Split into two groups: Immediate TV viewing (27) and delayed TV viewing (11).
  • Double-blind coding of responses into nine categories: time, location, activity, informant, company, attire, first thought, feelings, and subsequent actions.
• Findings:
  • No difference in information quantity based on reception context.
  • Delayed viewing led to less detailed and consistent recall over six months.
• Conclusions: Visual images during peak emotional surprise strengthen flashbulb memory formation.
• Evaluation:
  • Validity: Low internal validity due to time influencing memory decay rather than viewing context.
  • Methodology: Use of open-ended questions provided qualitative data and deception to prevent rehearsal.

Study 2: Talerico et al. (2017)

• Aim: Explore how news sources (traditional media, social media, personal communication) affect flashbulb memory formation and consistency.
• Procedure:
  • Participants reported on learning about Osama bin Laden's assassination immediately and at later intervals.
  • Grouped by news source; analyzed memory reports for phenomenological and metacognitive features.
• Findings:
  • Initial reports from traditional media had enhanced features compared to social media or personal sources.
  • Over time, phenomenological and metacognitive features decreased, with no source-based differences.
• Conclusions: News source does not affect memory consistency over time, but traditional media initially enhances memory features.
• Evaluation:
  • Methodology: Categorization by news source allowed insight into technology's impact on memory permanence.
  • Ethics: Potential psychological harm from recalling traumatic events raises ethical concerns.

Theory and Applications

• Flashbulb Memories & Special Mechanism: Highlight the role of technology in forming consistent and shared flashbulb memories.
• Importance of Study: Understanding the impact of technology on memory formation and consistency.

Discussion

• Topic Sentence 1: Technology's influence is evident when comparing recall differences from various sources.
  • Study 1 (Talerico): Shows how technology facilitates detailed recollections and overt rehearsal, but testing technology's effect is complex due to other influencing factors.
• Topic Sentence 2: Visual information from media enhances flashbulb memory formation.
  • Study 2 (Schaefer): Suggests technology's role in accurate long-term recall, but biases exist as repeat rehearsal may also enhance memory.

Conclusion

• Technology significantly influences the formation and recall of flashbulb memories, with implications for understanding cognitive processes related to media exposure during significant events.