Brewer & Treyens (1981): Study Guide Flashcards
What was the aim of Brewer and Treyens’ (1981) study?
To investigate the role of schema in encoding and retrieving episodic memories.
What was the procedure of Brewer and Treyens’ (1981) study?
Participants were asked to wait in an office for 35 seconds without being told the true purpose of the study.
The office contained a mix of typical office items (e.g., a desk, typewriter) and unusual items (e.g., a skull, a brick).
After leaving the office, participants were asked to recall the objects they had seen, using three conditions:
Recall condition: Participants wrote down and described the objects they remembered.
Drawing condition: Participants drew the objects they remembered and their positions in the office.
Recognition condition: Participants were shown a list of objects and asked which ones had been in the office.
What were the key findings of Brewer and Treyens (1981)?
Participants were more likely to recall objects that were congruent with the typical office schema (e.g., a desk, chair) but often failed to recall unusual items (e.g., a skull).
Some participants falsely recalled schema-consistent items that were not present (e.g., books).
The findings suggest that schema influence both memory encoding and retrieval, leading to memory distortions.
Which theory does Brewer and Treyens’ (1981) study support?
Schema theory, as it demonstrates how pre-existing mental frameworks influence memory and can lead to both accurate and distorted recall.
