Kulkofsky et al (2011)

Uses: flashbulb, emotion, culture

Aim: to investigate the role of culture on flashbulb memory

Procedure:

• Studied 5 countries, China, Germany, USA, Turkey, and UK. To see the difference between collectivist culture and individualist culture on flashbulb.

• 274 adults from 5 different countries, identified as "middle class"

• 5 minutes to recall as many memories as they could of public events in their lifetime. (at least 1 year ago)

• Used a list of events to create a "memory questionnaire"

• 5 questions about how they learned about the event that was intended to replicate the ones asked by Brown and Kulik.

1. Where were you when you first learned of the event?

2. What time of day was it?

3. How did you learn about it?

4. What were you doing at the time that you learned about it?

5. Whom were you with?

• They were then asked to answer questions about the importance of the event to them personally. Questions included:

  • How nationally or internationally important was the event?

  • How personally important was the event?

  • How surprising was the event?

  • How many times have you talked about the event since it happened?

• Question was written in English and then back-translated to different languages. (translation not confounding variable)

Result:

• Collectivist culture (China), personal importance, and intensity of emotion played less of a role in predicting FBM.

• Individualist cultures place greater emphasis on an individual's personal involvement and emotional experiences.

• Explained by less rehearsal in China as you wouldn't focus on yourself.

• National importance was equally linked to FBM formation across cultures.