Bartlet (1932) The War of the Ghosts

Question 1

What was the name of the story Bartlett told?

Answer 1

The War of the Ghosts

Question 2

What was the goal of the study?

Answer 2

To highlight the reconstructive nature of memory- participants were expected to rely on their schemas when recalling the unfamiliar story

Question 3

What was the aim?

Answer 3

Whether or not personal schemas influence what is remembered from the story

Question 4

What did the participants do (procedure)?

Answer 4

Read the story twice and were asked to recall it over different time periods

Question 5

Bartlett tested recall using serial reproduction and repeated reproduction, what happened in serial reproduction?

Answer 5

Participants retold the story to others 15-30 minutes later, creating a chain of recall

Question 6

Bartlett tested recall using serial reproduction and repeated reproduction,
what happened in repeated reproduction?

Answer 6

The same participant wrote the story after 15 minutes and recalled it at intervals of time (from minutes - years)

Question 7

What was the result of repeated reproduction?

Answer 7

They tended to maintain the same general structure or theme

Question 8

What was the result of serial reproduction?

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

What are strengths of the study?

Answer 9

-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

Question 10

What are weaknesses of the study?

Answer 10

-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