Reconstructive Memory - Barlett 1932

Question 1

What is the Reconstructive Memory?

Answer 1

• It was developed by Bartlett (1932)
• he states that we make “effort after meaning” when recalling memories
• unlikely that we recall an event perfectly

Question 2

Why cant we remember events perfectly?

Answer 2

It is mixed up with elements of our existing knowledge and expectations (+ stereotypes)

Question 3

What is a Schema and how does it help us?

Answer 3

• A schema are packages of information that we have about everything we know
• we use them to make sense of the inner working of our surroundings and help remember things.

Question 4

Explain what the Schema theory is

Answer 4

Schema theory states that all knowledge is organised into units. within these units of knowledge or schemata is stored information

Question 5

What are some of these units and briefly explain what they are

Answer 5

• objective schemas (inanimate objects + functions)
• person schema (individuals = personality, appearance, behaviour etc)
• self-schema (on yourself = what you are now + future self)
• social schema (knowledge of behaviour of people in certain social situations)
• event schema (patterns of behaviour to be followed in certain events)

Question 6

What are the components that schema can change through?

Answer 6

• Assimilating
• Accommodation
• Levelling
• Sharpening

Question 7

Explain these components of change?

Answer 7

Assimilating - new information is incorporated into pre-existing schemas
Accommodation - existing schemas can be altered or new ones might be formed as a person learns new info and experiences
Levelling - removing or downplaying detail from the memory
Sharpening - adds or exaggerates the details

Question 8

How are perception and imaging are used to create memory? (according to the reconstructive memory)
(*hint - uses a step by step process when explaining it)

Answer 8

Perception:

1. adds labels to objects and events (Labels = based on past experience and knowledge)
2. labels used when recalling past memory of that event or object

Imaging: (uses the “effort after meaning”)

1. use own stored images to interpret the memory
2. then uses past knowledge to create the meaning
3. once attain meaning = easier to store

Question 9

what are the other types of distortion?

Answer 9

• Rationalisation
• Transformation
• Confabulation
• Simplification

Question 10

Define these distortions?

* = another way of thinking it

Answer 10

Rationalisation - changing the order of the story to make it sense using more familiar to the culture of the individual (* change of order could have been caused to emotion + additional detail)

Transformation - story becomes more consistent to the persons own culture (* when your adding more detail of your own culture to become more consistent)

Confabulation - unable to remember certain parts of the memory so you fill these gaps with made up stories (* parts of the story that you couldn’t see)

Simplification - making the story more easier to remember so you break it down to a simply/summarised version

*the 1st 3 are similar - no.1 just changes to order , no. 2 changes specific parts/events and no. 3 adds detail = they all do this to make to more easier to understand for them

Question 11

What are the strengths of the reconstructive memory

Answer 11

• War of ghost story supports = perception changed over time (suit their own schema)
• Loftus and palmer experiment supports this = changing the language used also changes the perception of the participants on the video
• proves eyewitness testimony is unreliable

Question 12

What are the weaknesses of the reconstructive memory

Answer 12

• little relevance to everyday life
• ghost of war was a unusual story for anyone so it was automatically altered
• doesn’t explain how its reconstructive as its just descriptive
• (Steyvers and Hemmer) experimental conditions deliberately induce errors in recall