ABSTRACT
Flashbulb memories (FBMs) are memories of the circumstances in which a person learned about a newsworthy public event. In this chapter we want to depart from the usual practice in studies of FBMs and concentrate not on the FBM itself, but the memory of the event that gave rise to the FBM. One reason why scholars have been so fascinated by FBMs is that they point to the rare instances in which the autobiographical intersects with the collective (Neisser, 1982). Most historically important events may find themselves incorporated into the collective memory a community has of its past, but people rarely remember where and when they learned about them (Larsen, 1992). The appointment of Judge Alito to the Supreme Court may figure in the American collective memory, but only a few Americans possess a clear FBM of the circumstances in which they learned of the final confirmation of his appointment. What is extraordinary about flashbulb-memory-inducing events (henceforth, FB events) is that they become incorporated into both a community’s collective memory and community members’ individual autobiographies. Americans remember both the events of 9/11 and the circumstances in which they learned about them.
