Memory and Emotional Consistency: The MS Estonia Ferry Disaster

Abstract

Abstract The focus of this study is on the recall of emotional reactions and their consistency in flashbulb memories of the Estonia ferry disaster on the Baltic Sea in September of 1994. Subjects were asked for their recollections of the circumstances surrounding the news, along with ratings of emotional reactions shortly after the event and one year later. This study also explored whether recollection of emotion predicts memory quantity or consistency. Results showed that personal circumstances when receiving the news of the Estonia ferry disaster were well retained, although far from perfectly. Less than one third of the subjects could accurately recall their emotional reactions experienced upon learning about the news, but they were not more consistent in their recall of circumstantial event information as compared to the rest of the subjects.