The Flashbulb Memory theory, put forth by Roger Brown and James Kulik in 1977, suggests that humans tend to form vivid memories of surprising and emotionally arousing events. These memories, resembling a "snapshot" of a significant occurrence, are crystal clear and detailed. They even include minor details like the weather, smells, and immediate aftermath of the event. Let's dive in!

• Snapshot Memories: Brown and Kulik found that people remembered very clearly where they were, who they were with, and what they were doing when they first heard about shocking events, such as the assassination of JFK in 1963. Just imagine it like your brain took a quick picture when you heard the shocking news!

• Research Methodology: In order to better understand how these memories are formed, the researchers surveyed 80 individuals (40 Caucasian, 40 African Americans, aged 20-60) about various significant events, including assassinations and personal incidents. It was like they were inviting participants to walk down memory lane and describe their experiences.

• Formation: For a flashbulb memory to occur, the event must be surprising and have a high level of personal consequentiality (meaning it's super important to you!). It's like being in a horror movie when the monster suddenly jumps out, or like hearing that your favorite band is coming to your city for a concert - you're probably not going to forget that!

• Maintenance: Once the memory is formed, it's kept fresh and vivid through overt rehearsal (like talking about the event with others) and covert rehearsal (like replaying the event in your mind). It's like reliving your favorite concert over and over again, or repeatedly talking about that creepy monster jump-scare scene with your friends.