ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the methods that have been used to study the relationship between emotion and memory. It focuses on studying trauma memories in non-clinical populations. The chapter shows that researchers who are interested in studying the emotion-memory relationship using naturally occurring emotion can follow the methods that have been developed for studying flashbulb and trauma memories. R. Brown and J. Kulik coined the term "flashbulb memories" based on their investigation of memories that were formed when individuals received news about emotional events. The consistency of trauma reports across time has been an issue of particular interest to researchers because similar to flashbulb memories, a high degree of consistency would support the notion that trauma memories are distinct from other memories. In addition to asking participants to describe their trauma experience, rating scales are administered so that the characteristics of trauma memories can be examined.
