Bartlet (1932) The War of the Ghosts Flashcards
What was the name of the story Bartlett told?
The War of the Ghosts
What was the goal of the Bartlett study?
To highlight the reconstructive nature of memory- participants were expected to rely on their schemas when recalling the unfamiliar story
What was the aim of the Bartlett study?
Whether or not personal schemas influence what is remembered from the story
What did the participants do (procedure) in the Bartlett study?
Read the story twice and were asked to recall it over different time periods
Bartlett tested recall using serial reproduction and repeated reproduction, what happened in serial reproduction?
Participants retold the story to others 15-30 minutes later, creating a chain of recall
Bartlett tested recall using serial reproduction and repeated reproduction,
what happened in repeated reproduction?
The same participant wrote the story after 15 minutes and recalled it at intervals of time (from minutes - years)
What was the result of repeated reproduction?
They tended to maintain the same general structure or theme
What was the result of serial reproduction?
Participants made sense of the unfamiliar story by adding meaning; rationalisation.
This led to altering lines and unfamiliar details were often omitted (like place names). Details were simplified or familiarised e.g canoe became boat.
What are strengths of the Bartlett study?
-It’s reliable because the same findings have been found across other studies
-The study used qualitative analysis to gather results. It helped understand how memory is reconstructed through meaning
What are weaknesses of the Bartlett study?
-Some regard qualitative analysis as unscientific because Bartlett could have interpreted the participants’ recalled stories in light of his own theory on reconstructive memory
-Didn’t use standardised procedures
