Cognitive Memory: Reconstructive Memory

Question 1

Define reconstructive memory

Answer 1

It is fragments of stored informationg that are reassembled during recall. The gaps are filled by our expectations so our memory can produce a story that makes sense.

Question 2

Define schema.

Answer 2

A mental framework of expectations that influence cognitive processing. We are born with schemas but they develop as we experience. They are what fills the gap to make a memory make sense.

Question 3

Who created the reconstructive theory? And when?

Answer 3

Bartlett (1932)

Question 4

What was Bartletts way of demonstrating schemas?

Answer 4

The War of the Ghosts.
He showed british ppts a native american folk story, war of the ghosts and asked them to recall the story 15 minutes later. He found the story was transformed over time. ( It became shorter, phrases wete changed to match the ppts own culture lime canoe become boat)

Question 5

What is the schema theory?

Answer 5

Bartlett believed that what we remember is governed by schemas which contain a stored knowledge of aspects of the world, when we come across new information the relevant scheme is activated matching the situation with a schema similar to that event.

Question 6

How do schemas affect memory?

Answer 6

Schemas influence memory in two main ways what are you encode/store and what you retrieve.

Question 7

How would new knowledge that conflicts with an existing schema fail to be encoded? What might happen?

Answer 7

Because it doesn’t fit with what you expect so it doesn’t register. Later when you try to recall a memory you might only record the relevant information and other elements that don’t fit are either forgotten all together or distorted when recalled.

Question 8

Evaluate RT S

Answer 8

War of the ghosts.
British participants when attempting to remember the Native American story changed words to fit their culture (canoe to boat)

Question 9

Evaluate RT O

Answer 9

No control over Reliability or Validity.
Bartletts research didn’t use controlled methods and lacked objectivity. His instructions were not standardised and he had no scoring system for measuring changes.

Question 10

Evaluate RT DT

Answer 10

Episodic + Semantic memory theory- Tulving.
Reconstructive memory does not explain the processes of how memory is reconstructed while the other cognitive theories describe the process is at work in rehearsing, retrieving recalling. Making it reductionalist.

Question 11

Evaluate RT A

Answer 11

Eye-Witness testimony may not be reliable:
If our memories can be distorted then we shouldn’t only rely on eye witness testimony.