Misleading postevent information and flashbulb memories

The aim of this study was to create the conditions of a real discussion concerning the past in an experimental setting and examine their effect on subsequent recollections of important autobiographical events. A total of 55 adults described two episodes twice. The first episode was a typical news reception event and the second one represented a private event of particular personal significance. In between the two recall sessions, participants from the experimental group viewed two films. The first was a short televised account of the two events; the second was a corresponding videotaped description of the personal experiences of a middle-aged man. In addition, participants were asked to imagine what he had been talking about. Most of the participants from the experimental group incorporated elements of the man's description into their own subsequent accounts. In spite of this, they rated the accuracy of their post-test memories as very high. The implications for understanding distortion mechanisms in flashbulb memories are discussed.