Which of the following is true of how flashbulb memories change in the months or years after the initial event?

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The question asks us to assess how flashbulb memories tend to change in the months or years after the initial event.
Option 1: 'The vividness of flashbulb memories increases over time' — Research generally shows that vividness often fades rather than grows as time passes, so this overstates how memorable the event remains and is not typically supported by findings on long-term memory.
Option 2: 'The vividness of flashbulb memories remains constant over time' — Empirical work indicates that vividness tends to decrease or become less reliable over extended periods; claiming constancy ignores the natural decay and reconstruction processes that occur with memory.
Option 3: 'The confidence of flashbulb memories increases over time' — This aligns with common observations: people often report higher confidence in their recollections as time passes, even when the factual accuracy does not improve and may even deteriorate due to reconstructive recall and hazy details.
Option 4: 'The accuracy of flashbulb memories remains constant over time' — In reality, accuracy tends to decline as memories are rebuilt and are susceptible to distortions; constancy of accuracy is not supported by findings on these memories.
In summary, among the options, the statement that best reflects typical findings is that confidence tends to increase over time, while vividness can wane and accuracy can decline. This makes option 3 the most plausible choice given the established literature on flashbulb memories.

PSYC20007_2025_SM2 Supplementary or Special Exam: Cognitive Psychology (PSYC20007_2025_SM2)- Requires Respondus LockDown Browser

Which of the following is true of how flashbulb memories change in the months or years after the initial event?

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