Reconstructive Memory Model

Question 1

AO1: What are schemas?

Answer 1

Idea that our memory is grouped into categories based on our experiences within family, culture, wider experiences.

Question 2

AO1: What is assimilation?

Answer 2

Change our schemas to fit new information

Question 3

AO1: What is accommodation?

Answer 3

Change memories to keep schemas intact and unchanged

Question 4

AO1: What is levelling?

Answer 4

Downplaying details from memories

Question 5

AO1: What is sharpening?

Answer 5

Adding/ exaggerating details from a memory

Question 6

AO1: How can memory use schemas to organise things? (3)

Answer 6

1. Schemas tell us what happened when we recall a memory
2. Fill gaps in our memories
3. May put pressure on mind to remember things in a way that fits w. schemas

Question 7

AO1: What is confabulation?

Answer 7

When schemas fill in gaps in our memories.

Question 8

AO1: What is rationalisation?

Answer 8

Fill in gaps of a scenario which leads to confabulation

Question 9

AO3: Bartlett 1932 (War of the Ghosts) - PROCEDURE (2)

Answer 9

Showed 20 students a Native American ghost story
Asked them to read it then recall it several occasions after hours, data, weeks, years

Question 10

AO3: Bartlett 1932 (War of the Ghosts) - RESULTS (3)

Answer 10

Pps shortened story from 330 words - 180 words w. shortest reproduction after longest gap (2 yrs)
Confabulated details: changed unfamiliar details e.g. canoes to boats
Pps rationalised story: e.g. ghost missed out

Question 11

AO3: Allport & Postman (1947) - PROCEDURE (2)

Answer 11

Showed pps drawing of argument on a subway train
Asked to describe it to another pps

Question 12

AO3: Allport & Postman (1947) - RESULTS (1)

Answer 12

White pps reversed presentation of black and white characters in picture

Question 13

AO3: Loftus & Palmer (1974 a) - PROCEDURE

Answer 13

Showed clips of car crashes to students and set them questionnaire to answer
One critical qs: speed of car— smashed/ hit into each other to different groups

Question 14

AO3: Loftus & Palmer (1974 a) - RESULTS (2)

Answer 14

Smashed- average speed of car 40.8 mph
Hit- average speed of car 34 mph

Question 15

AO3: Loftus & Palmer (1974 b) - PROCEDURE (1)

Answer 15

Week after part a, asked if there was any broken glass in car wreck

Question 16

AO3: Loftus & Palmer (1974 b) - RESULTS (3)

Answer 16

Falsely recalled by 12% of control (never asked speed of car)
Falsely recalled by 14% of ‘hit’ group
Falsely recalled by 32% of ‘smashed’ group

Question 17

AO3: Devlin Report (1976)- WHAT DID IT DO?

Answer 17

Looked at number of criminal cases to draw conclusions on method of visual identification of suspects

Question 18

AO3: Devlin Report (1976)- PROOF (3)

Answer 18

Bartlett
Allport & Postman
Loftus

Question 19

AO3: Devlin Report (1976)- CONCLUSION

Answer 19

British juries should never convict someone where only evidence is a single eyewitness

Question 20

AO3: Steyvers & Hemmer (2012)- PROCEDURE (2)

Answer 20

Part 1: 22 pps asked to list 5 objects found in 5 naturalistic scenes e.g. office, kitchen
Part 2: control of 25 people asked to identify all objects see in 25 images of 5 scenes

Question 21

AO3: Steyvers & Hemmer (2012)- RESULTS (2)

Answer 21

Incorrect recall of low frequency objects was 18% (least recalled)
Incorrect recall of high frequency objects was 9% (most recalled)