Bartlett (1932): Study Guide

Question 1

What was the aim of Bartlett’s (1932) study?

Answer 1

To investigate how memory is influenced by social and cultural factors and how it is reconstructed.

Question 2

What was the procedure of Bartlett’s (1932) study?

Answer 2

Participants read a Native American folk tale, “The War of the Ghosts,” and then recalled it immediately and after a delay. The story was retold multiple times by different participants.

Question 3

What were the findings of Bartlett’s (1932) study?

Answer 3

Participants distorted the story to fit their cultural expectations, simplifying, changing, or omitting details, and forgetting parts that were unfamiliar to them.

Question 4

What theory does Bartlett’s (1932) study support?

Answer 4

The theory of reconstructive memory, suggesting that memory is not an exact reproduction of events but is actively reconstructed using prior knowledge and schemas.