Brown & Kulik (1977)

• Aim: 

  To investigate whether surprising and personally significant events can cause flashbulb memories.
• Research Method: 

  Questionnaire-based study (retrospective self-report)
• Procedure:

  1. 40 black and 40 white American male participants completed a questionnaire.
  2. Questions about deaths of public figures (e.g., JFK, MLK) and personal acquaintances.
  3. Participants asked about details of where they were, who they were with, what they were doing, how they found out, their emotions, personal relevance, and frequency of discussing the event.
• Results:

  1. 90% of participants recalled significant detail about the day of these events.
  2. Most had detailed memories of a loved one's death.
  3. 75% of black participants had flashbulb memories of MLK's assassination, compared to 33% of white participants.
• Conclusion: 

  Surprising and personally significant events can indeed cause flashbulb memories, with personal relevance playing a crucial role in memory formation and retention.
• Strengths:

  1. Pioneering Research: One of the first empirical studies on flashbulb memories, stimulating further research.
  2. Replicable Procedure: Allows for reliability checks through replication.
  3. Ecological Validity: Investigated real-life events and memories.
  4. Comparative Approach: Examined differences between racial groups, providing insights into the role of personal relevance.
• Limitations:

  1. Retrospective Nature: Relies on self-reported data, which can't be verified for accuracy.
  2. Measurement Issues: Unable to measure actual levels of surprise or emotion at the time of the event.
  3. Demand Characteristics: Potential social desirability effect in responses about national events.
  4. Sampling Bias: Limited to American males, lacking gender and cultural diversity.