Roconstructive memory Flashcards
Who came up with the reconstructive memory idea
Bartlett (1932)
What did he say reconstructive memory was
Fragments of previous memories coming together to make a whole
- Memory was a whole, had to be reconstructive
How did he test this idea of reconstructive memory
Showed participants ‘War of the Ghosts’ story
- They read it and reproduced it 15 minutes later
- Then another person read the new version
- and so on and so on
What did Bartlett find as a result of this
Story had changed and became shorter.
- Some phrases altered to match participants culture
- Words like ‘canoe’ changed to ‘boat’
What was the transformation of the story called
Rationalisation
What does rationalisation mean
Changing phrases to match ones culture
What type of reproductiong did Bartlett use for his war of ghosts story
Serial reproduction
What is serial reproduction
one person reads a set of information before reproducing it for another person, who then reproduces it for a third person, who does the same for a fourth, and so on.
What theory did Bartlett develop as a result of his experiment to try and explain the results
Schema theory
What is a schema
Package of memory containing all stored memory of the world
How do schemas work
During an experience you activate a relevant schema (if you go to the cinema you use ur cinema schema)
- allows us to process info by guessing what will happen based off past experiences
What is a weakness of this theory
It’s wrong to suggest that all memories are inaccurate or affected by schemas.
Weakness of this theory: Evidence to suggest not all memory is inaccurate
In situations that are personally important or distinctive, we remember considerable amount of detail
example: in war of ghosts participants recalled ‘something black came out my mouth’ because it was unusual.
Weakness of theory: what does this evidence suggest
People do not always reconstruct memories, and when they do, it can be very accurate.
What is a strength of the application of this theory
This theory can be used to explain problems such as eye-witness testimony
Strength of application: Explain EWT
- Used in courts to gain knowledge of what happened in a crime scene
Example: an eye witness might say they saw a paticular person at a crime scene whereas later evidence suggests differently
Strength of application: How does Bartlett’s research link with EWT
Showed that memory can be affected by schemas, which include expectations on what we think should happen.
Strength of application: What research proved the link with the schema theory and EWT
Loftus and Palmer shown people do not always recall what they see accurately.
Strength of the theory and research
The theory is based on research that is realistic.
Strength of theory and research: how is the research realistic
Getting participants to read and recall a piece of information is realistic and this can be done in places like schools, or the work place. It tests cognitive ability which all humans have.
