Reconstructive memory

Question 1

Theory of reconstructive memory

Answer 1

Proposed by Frederic Bartlett (1932)
active process that involves the reconstruction of information

• proposes that rather than being a passive retrieval of information from long term storage, it is an active process that involves reconstructing information

Question 2

False Memories

Answer 2

feeling like something happened though it never did

Question 3

False vs flashbulb

Answer 3

False - memories you experience when you have hightened emotions (vivid)
Flashbulb - clear, accurate (vivid) with slight distortions

Question 4

Ramirez et al 2013

Answer 4

Aim - whether it was possible to artificial implant a false memory in the brain by manipulating neural activity

Methodology:
optogenetically manipulated memory cells in the hippocampus.
Optogenetics - a technique that uses light to control living cells
Neurons were activated when delivering a mild foot shock and then optically reactivated in original (safe) environment.

Results - recall of a memory was context-specific, and could also initiate a fear response. Showed that it is possible to generate an internally represented and behaviourally expressed fear memory artificially.

Question 5

Loftus and Palmer (1974)

Answer 5

Aim - To investigate if memory can be altered by misleading postevent information (in an eyewitness situation)

Participants - University students, convenience samples. Experiment 1—45
students, 5 groups; experiment 2—150 students, 3 groups

Methodology:
Experiment 1 - 45 students split into 5 groups, shown 5 films in a different order, and then asked a series of questions with changed emotional intensity of the verb while asking mean speed of the car in the accident video. The independent variable (IV) was therefore the misleading
post-event information, operationalized as the emotional intensity of the verb in the question. The dependent variable (DV) was the speed estimate.

Experiment 2 - 150 students students split into 3 groups. Multiple car crashes shown. No shattered glass in video. IV = emotional intensity of verb, question asked of whether they saw shattered glass.

Results:
In experiment 1, the mean speed they guessed increased with the emotional intensity of the verb used to describe the car crash

In experiment 2, the percentage of people saying yes to there being shattered glass increased with the emotional intensity of the verb used to describe the car crash.

Conclusion - memory change is caused by misleading post-event information

Question 6

two kinds of information

Answer 6

1) information obtained during the perception of the event
2) external post-event information

Question 7

Yuille and Cutshall (1986)

Answer 7

Aim
To investigate whether eyewitness accounts get distorted as a function of misleading post-event information in a naturalistic setting.

Method:
Interviews with elements of an experiment.
Participants
13 eye witnesses to a real crime (a gun store robbery) in Vancouver.

Procedure:
* In this real-life robbery, a thief entered a gun store, tied up the owner, stole money and guns, and left. The owner managed to untie himself, take a gun and run
outside. This was followed by a gun shooting in which the robber was killed. The shooting was witnessed by 21 people from various viewpoints. All the witnesses were interviewed by the police.
* Four months after the incident researchers conducted interviews where they also used experimental elements
(some participants were asked leading questions with misleading information, others were not).
* To determine the accuracy of participants’ memories, they were compared to official police records

Results - misleading questions had very low effect on recall

Conclusion - either reconstructive memory only takes place in artificial conditions (laboratory experiments) or it is more accurate because it tapped into the memory phenomenon - flashbulb memory (high emotional experience)