Bartlett's War of The Ghosts(1932)

Question 1

What was the aim of Bartlett’s War of The Ghosts study?

Answer 1

• To investigate the effect of schemas

- on one’s RECALL of a story

Question 2

Who were the participants in the study?

Answer 2

• -> Brit. :

- ->7 men, 13 women

Question 3

Describe the procedure of the study

Answer 3

• not told the true aim of the study
• fake aim was given:
  
  • to inv. the ACC. of recall
• They were told a Native American story on the WoG (cultural schemas)
• asked to reproduce the story after a short time (15 mins)
• then further reproduced at irregular intervals (days, weeks, months or years)

Question 4

What were the findings of Bartlett’s War of The Ghosts study?

Answer 4

• Participants recall of the story got shorter and shorter:
  
  • after 6 presentions it went from:
    
    • 330 words to
      
      • 180 words

Question 5

What did Bartlett conclude?

Answer 5

• acc. was RARE
  
  • changes in recall showed to be shaped by pre-ex. schemas:
    
    • story became more wester:
      
      • canoes–> boats
      • ghosts–> no ghosts
        - Indicates that recall affected by our own knowledge which is created by the cultures we live in

Question 6

Evaluate Bartlett’s War of The Ghosts Study(V)

Answer 6

• demand characteristics due to:
  
  • strangeness of the study
• lack of internal validity

Question 7

Evaluate Bartlett’s War of The Ghosts(G)

Answer 7

• Irregular intervals
• results can not be compared
• low generalisability

Question 8

Evaluate Bartlett’s War of The Ghost(E)

Answer 8

• ethical

- received explicit consent