Flash memory is when you experience a memory that has to do with a quick flash of a memory. Although the memory comes on quickly, it still expresses significantly vivid details of the event. A flashbulb memory is triggered by a surprising or consequential event. In the movie The Butterfly Effect, Evan experiences flashbulb memories when he rereads his diary. He is able to feel the emotions that occurred in that memory and is able to notice things that he missed when the event actually took place. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Automatic processing occurs when a person is able to perform tasks without thinking too much about what they are doing. The task is often performed out of habit due to repetition. Effortful processing is when a person uses their conscious effort to perform a task. Due to Evan's “blackout” condition, he lacks automatic processing ability. You are usually able to quickly think back to a past memory. Additionally, Evan lacks the capacity for effortful processing because his blackouts hinder his ability to fully recall past events from his childhood. To visit a memory, Evan uses effortful processing by rereading his journals. The self-referential effect occurs when you encode information differently depending on that person's personal experience and views with that information. In the film, Evan's father was known to suffer from a mental illness that was misunderstood by others. However, as Evan grew older, he was able to better understand his father's illness because he had experience of what his father had been through. This helps him understand his blackout episodes. In Roger Ebert's review of the film, the film is rated 3.5 stars out of 5. I partially agree with Ebert in that the changes Evan made only affected those who were present in his life and not the entire world in a broad sense. However, focusing entirely on the changes made to the world would take away from the purpose of the film and how the diary ultimately aided in Evan's memory recovery. I don't agree with the fact that one can feel like they are being made fun of throughout the film, it seems to me that at this point in the film - where Evan is constantly traveling through his memories - it is significant. This allows the audience to experience what it's like to be in Evan's mind and how the constant alterations he makes to his memories negatively impact him. Overall, I feel the film deserves at least 4 out of 5 stars because it adequately portrays the chaos that comes with Evan's experience and that every outcome is not positive. I highly recommend this movie because it's worth watching. By watching this movie you can learn several valuable lessons about life. First, the overall plot of the film shows that as humans we make mistakes, yet those mistakes help shape us into who we are and who we will become. Furthermore, this film illustrates how the outcome of one's life is greatly influenced by the environment in which one grows up. This film is also educational in a psychological sense and teaches flash memory and other important aspects of brain and memory functions in general. Please note: this is just an example. Get a Custom Paper Now from Our Expert Writers Get a Custom Essay An important aspect of the memory process that I didn't learn about in class is implicit and explicit memory. Implicit memory is a type of memory in which one is able to remember an event with the help of.