Reconstructive Memory Flashcards
What is a schema?
Mental script or representation for what to expect from a person, event or situation, based on our past experiences of that thing
How are memories retrieved?
Constructive process where they are rebuilt
What is accomodation?
Altering the content of our memories which we recall to be consistent with our belief/previous experiences
What is confabulation?
Using our schemas to fill in the gaps
What is omission?
Missing out information as they don’t fit within a schema
What is rationalisation?
Changing memories because the newer alteration makes it make more sense
How does Bartlett’s war of ghosts study support reconstructive memory?
Found that participants who
recalled a story filled in the information they couldn’t remember with previous
experiences (schemas) e.g. “canoe” became “boat”, so memories do get reconstructed when being
recalled, meaning the theory is a credible explanation of memory
Why is reconstructive memory incomplete?
Doesn’t consider the existence of STM and LTM or the encoding or storage of memories in the first place, just retrieval so its a less credible explanation of how human memory works as
it is incomplete
Why is it good that reconstructive memory addresses the errors of memory?
Explains why people misremember information rather than simply forgetting it altogether, whereas other theories don’t acknowledge this
Why is it a weakness of using schema recall studies like Bartlett’s war of ghosts study?
Lacks ecological validity making them less applicable to real world memories so its hard to know how real world memories could be effected by processes like accommodation and schemas making the theory less credible
How is reconstructive memory useful to society?
Helps our understanding of Eye Witness Memories for crimes and why it
can’t be used anymore so means it can explain real world events and is useful for
having impacts on the world
How do Wynn and Logie conflict reconstructive memory?
Found that in natural situations that memories are not added to over time so rationalisation may only occur in artificial situations
