Final answer:
Although flashbulb memories are vivid and emotionally charged, their confidence level may not correlate with their accuracy due to memory reconstruction and the possibility of false memories.
Step-by-step explanation:
Despite research indicating that flashbulb memories operate similarly to ordinary memories and can be subject to errors over time, people tend to have high confidence in the accuracy of their flashbulb memories due to strong emotional associations.
These vivid memories are formed during momentous events, such as the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and are supported by arousal theory, which suggests that the release of neurotransmitters and hormones during high emotional states strengthens memory formation.
However, memory reconstruction which involves the combination of different stored components like time, visual elements, and smells provides opportunities for errors, leading to what could be false memories.
Despite their apparent clarity, flashbulb memories can degrade over time. President George W. Bush, for example, provided inconsistent accounts of how he learned about the 9/11 attacks, which demonstrates the fallibility of these memories.
Moreover, leading questions and additional information can further alter or create false memories, while the potential for repressed memories remains a controversial topic in psychology.
Therefore, while flashbulb memories are indeed vivid and often believed to be highly accurate, they are subject to the same processes of forgetting, memory errors, and distortions as other types of memories, contrasting the strong belief in their accuracy.