HMN 2025: How COVID state of alarm declaration had significant impact on population’s memory—especially the young

HAEZI group researchers analyzed the impact on memory exerted by the declaration of a state of alarm due to COVID. From the accuracy and certainty that the respondents revealed in their memories, they concluded that the impact was significant and that to leave a lasting impression an event does not have to be unexpected. They also studied how age influences memories and found that memories become less detailed with the advancing years.

Not all events impact our memories in the same way. Some remain etched on our minds with great precision, like a snapshot frozen in time.

“In psychology, these types of emotionally charged events that we retain in great detail and with certainty are known as flashbulb memories. Historically, events with a major social impact, such as the 9/11 attacks or the assassination of John F. Kennedy, have been classified in this way. And recently we have concluded that the declaration of a state of alarm due to COVID also meets the characteristics of this type of memory,” as the EHU researchers Alaitz Aizpurua and Malen Migueles explained.

They reached this conclusion after analyzing the responses given by 112 people to a questionnaire designed by the researchers themselves. The online form, which participants completed one month after the lockdown, included questions about the date of the announcement, what the weather was like when they heard the news, what they were wearing, what they were doing, and so on. Likewise, the respondents were asked to indicate how confident they were about the accuracy of what they were saying.

“They recalled many details about the event and displayed great confidence about what they had retained. The fact that they answered with certainty does not mean that their memories corresponded to reality. Veracity is something we cannot confirm, but neither is it a determining factor when assessing whether an event has had a major impact on the mind or whether it is a flashbulb memory.

“What characterizes flashbulb memories is that the levels of specificity and confidence conferred by the participant are high. In this case they were. So the declaration of a state of alarm due to COVID can be regarded as a flashbulb memory,” explained Aizpurua and Migueles.

This conclusion has helped to contribute to the ongoing scientific debate about whether an event needs to occur unexpectedly for its impact to give rise to a flashbulb memory. This term is most commonly used to refer to sudden events, but there are studies that prove otherwise.

The work carried out by the University of the Basque Country (EHU) adds to the body of research showing that the surprise factor is not essential for generating flashbulb memories. And the fact is that although 52% of respondents believed that the declaration of a state of alarm due to COVID had been predictable and logical, the results showed that the event had generated very precise memories in the participants, accompanied by a great sense of security or confidence.

Differences in terms of age

Another important aim of the research was to analyze the relationship between age and the specificity of and confidence about their memories. So they examined the participants’ responses, grouping them into three categories: young adults (19–29 years old), middle-aged adults (30–54 years old), and older adults (55–78 years old).

In terms of accuracy, it was the youngest group that provided the most details when describing the information they had retained about the moment when the state of alarm was declared.

“This was to be expected, because it had also been indicated by previous studies. Older people tend to be less specific than younger people. However, our study provides new information about middle-aged people, who until now have generally been the great forgotten in research in our field.

“In other words, the differences between the extremes were analyzed, and so there is hardly any data on the 30–54 age group. Our study reveals that the level of detail about memories in this age range is more similar to that of older people than to that of younger people,” said Aizpurua and Migueles.

However, the researchers pointed out that, interestingly, in terms of confidence, the pattern is the same for all age groups. There is no difference, and in all cases great confidence was expressed about their responses.

Finally, the EHU research shows that older people stand out for their positivity. The survey participants were asked how they felt when they heard the news, and the least negative responses came from older people (aged between 55 and 78).

“Various studies indicate that human beings tend to become more positive as they age. We saw that this tendency was maintained even during the COVID pandemic. It confirms the idea that older people have more cognitive control mechanisms to suppress negative stimuli and to improve their emotional regulation. And in that regard, we have a lot to learn,” stressed Aizpurua and Migueles.

The findings are published in the journal Psychological Research.