Reconstructive Memory Flashcards
What are our schemes made up of
Stereotypes and expectations
Why does reconstruction happen
Because of memory gaps
What process is reconstruction
An active process which happens automatically and unconsciously
What did Bartlett find
Memory is not perfectly formed. It’s unlikely to be exactly the same as the original
INPUT is the perception and PROCESSING includes perception as well as interpretation
Interpretation includes previous experiences and schemes
What are the three parts of distortion
Assimilation
Levelling
Rationalisation
What is assimilation
Story becomes more consistent with cultural expectations. New info added to fill a memory so it makes sense
What is levelling
Story becomes shorter with each retelling. Participant got rid of unimportant information (330-180words)
What is rationalisation
Changed the story in order to make sense of it using more familiar terms to the culture and added details.
Strengths of reconstructive memory
War of the Ghosts shows evidence of changing the story to suit their own schema
Loftus and Palmer carried out studies on the unreliability of eyewitness testimony
Scientifically tested as it can be reduced into an IV and a DV
What are the weaknesses of reconstructive memory
Individual difference are not accounted for
Bartlett’s study is argued to have little relevance to everyday life and was a deliberate attempt to orchestrate evidence for his schema theory
Stevyers and Hemmer said the experimental conditions of such research deliberately induce errors in recall
Bartlett used an unusual story which people will automatically alter so it makes sense
More descriptive than elaborating does not explain how memory is reconstructive
More applicable to everyday life because it was in a lab
What are mental schemes
An organised package of information that stores our knowledge about the world
