What is the effect of critical incident amnesia?

Critical incident amnesia primarily impacts an officer's ability to recall events surrounding a traumatic experience. This phenomenon can occur after exposure to highly stressful or life-threatening situations, where the brain may block or obscure memories as a protective mechanism. In the context of law enforcement, this can lead to gaps in memory concerning the details of an incident, which can have significant implications for investigations, testimonies, and understanding the sequence of events during critical situations.

While other effects, such as physical performance, decision-making under pressure, and emotional responses may be influenced by stress or trauma, the distinctive characteristic of critical incident amnesia is specifically its effect on memory recall. This makes option B the most accurate choice in the context of the question.