Memory of Traumatic Experiences: From Amnesia to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

The purpose of the present study is to analyze the difference between the long-term memories of victims and witnesses/observers of a traumatic event and the effect of post-traumatic symptoms on the quality of memories. The event was the 11th of March, 2004, terrorist attacks in Madrid. Results showed that the victims characterized the event with higher quality and accessibility than the witnesses, particularly flashbulb memories. These differences could be related to the victims’ greater emotional reaction experienced during the event and the relevance/importance attributed to it, supporting the emotional-integrative and the importance-driven emotional reactions models of flashbulb memory formation. The intensity and quantity of post-traumatic symptoms present in the victims significantly affected the quality and accessibility of memories, as well as the associated emotions. The ‘Continuous Accessibility Model of Memory’ could explain the accessibility of autobiographical memories, where limitations to remembering could range from amnesia to PTSD, with flashbulb memories being the non-pathological prelude to the latter.