Reconstruction of Memories

Question 1

What is memory reconstruction?

Answer 1

combining of new information with other available information to create a more accurate or complete memory

Question 2

What can memory reconstructions being influenced by?

Answer 2

mood 
expectations
beliefs
personal experiences
pre-existing knowledge

Question 3

Why can memory reconstruction be inaccurate?

Answer 3

wrong information can be combined with new info even though we believe it is accurate

Question 4

What is eye-witness testimony?

Answer 4

requires a person to give their own version of what happened at a crime scene
= first hand account of something that a person has seen

Question 5

What is a leading question?

Answer 5

question phrased in such a way that it prompts or leads to a desired answer

Question 6

Who is Loftus and what did she discover?

Answer 6

conducted an experiment that suggest eye witness testimonies are fallible
- chance for info to be manipulated and inaccurate when the wrong info is combined

Question 7

What happened in Loftus’ expereiment?

Answer 7

people recollected higher speeds when they heard the word smashed compared to the lower speeds recollected by the people who heard hit

Question 8

What did Loftus conclude?

Answer 8

memories can be altered and inaccurate due to leading questions that imply inaccurate info