2004/08/01 by Cheryl M. Paradis, Faith L. Florer, Linda Zener Solomon +1 · 19 citations
Neuroscience · Psychology · #Clinical psychology #Consistency (knowledge bases) #Demography #History #Memory Processes and Influences #Psychological and Educational Research Studies #Psychology #Sample (material) #Social psychology #Sociology #Terrorism #World trade center
paper · doi:10.2466/pr0.95.1.304-310
published in Psychological Reports 95(1), 304-310 (SAGE Publishing)
openalex publication_date 2004/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
The present study assessed consistency of recollections of personal circumstances of the 9/11 World Trade Center attack and events of the day before (9/10), and the day after (9/12), in a sample of 100 New York City college students. The day before 9/11 represented an ordinary event. A questionnaire was administered twice, 1 wk. and 1 yr. after the 9/11 attack. Students were asked to describe their personal circumstances when hearing about the news of the World Trade Center attack and for the same time of day for 9/10 and 9/12. 18 students returned the follow-up questionnaire. Consistency of initial and follow-up responses for the central categories for both 9/11 and 9/12 of where, who, and activity was very high (9/11: "Where"--100%, "Who"--100%, "What"--94%; 9/12: "Where"--100%, "Who"--100%, "What"--80%). Recollections of 9/10 were significantly less consistent ("Where"--79%, "Who"--71%, "What"--71%). Analysis indicated that students formed vivid, consistent recollections during the events of both 9/11 and 9/12. It is likely that the events of 9/12 also became flashbulb memories, vivid recollections of traumatic events, because the emotional impact of the stressful events, i.e., police and military presence, disrupted schedules, relating to the 9/11 attack endured beyond the day of the attack.