The idea of flashbulb memory was first proposed in 1977 by psychologists Roger Brown, PhD, and James Kulik, PhD, who posited that these memories are so emotionally important to us that they're laid down as vividly, completely and accurately as a photograph.

What is flashbulb memory theory?

The theory of flashbulb memories was proposed by Roger Brown and James Kulik in 1977 after they investigated memories of the JFK assassination. ... They defined flashbulb memories as unusually vivid memories of a surprising and emotionally arousing event.

What did Talarico and Rubin discover about flashbulb memories?

In line with the bulk of the research reporting inconsistencies, Talarico and Rubin (2003) even showed that, although people may initially remember FBMs better than “everyday” autobiographical memories, the rate of decline was the same for both.