Flashbulb Memory - Thinking and Decision Making Quiz

Briefly describe the study performed by Brown and Kulik that led to the theory of flashbulb memories

1. They believed that flashbulb memories were vivid memories of circumstances in which one learned of a surprising and emotionally arousing event. 

2. First, they asked participants to describe their memory of the assassination of JFK. These questions included when they heard the news, what they were doing, who told them, the aftermath, the weather, the smell - things like these. They received these answers in the form of free recall. For flashbulb memories to occur, there had to be two elements - surprise and personal consequentiality. They found that flashbulb memories are vivid but were always accurate? They were aware this was a possibility, but didn’t focus on it.

List and describe one study that supports flashbulb memory theory - make sure to include the setup and results

find

List and describe one study that challenges flashbulb memory theory - make sure to include the setup and results

find

List and describe the four elements of the Adaptive Decision Maker Model

1. Maximizing decision accuracy

2. Minimizing the cognitive effort

3. Minimizing the experience of negative emotion

4. Maximizing the ease of justification of a decision

Maximizing decision accuracy

Normative choice models assume a single goal. To maximize decision accuracy, one would prefer the WADD strategy, quantifying and considering all attributes for all options.

Minimizing the cognitive effort

LEX is probably the most energy saving, since it only involves two steps.

Minimizing the experience of negative emotion

Negative emotions can influence decision-making. For example, a car brand with unpleasant associations or a house tied to past crime may be avoided. Two hypotheses explain this: (A) emotions disrupt decision speed and accuracy, or (B) decision-making adapts to emotions, making them integral to choice models. Research supports hypothesis B.

Maximizing the ease of justification of a decision

The adaptive decision-maker framework explains research effects unexplained by prior models.

Describe the asymmetric dominance and how it biases our choices

This describes the "decoy effect," a cognitive bias where adding a third, slightly inferior option influences choice. The decoy, clearly worse than one option but only slightly worse than the other, makes the "superior" option more appealing, effectively steering preference.