(Unit 1) Bartlett (1932)

Question 1

Bartlett (1932) War of the Ghosts Aim

Answer 1

To investigate the role of existing personal schemas in forming memory

Question 2

Bartlett (1932) War of the Ghosts Procedure

Answer 2

British participants were told a story War of the Ghosts from North American culture and were then asked to tell the story to someone else, who then told it to someone else and so on and so forth until it had been told several times over. This is called serial reproduction.

In another version people were told the story and were then asked to recall it two years on.

Question 3

Serial Reproduction

Answer 3

A method for studying memory in which 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.

Question 4

Repeated Reproduction

Answer 4

A method for studying memory in which participants repeatedly retrieve the same memory over time.

Question 5

Bartlett (1932) War of the Ghosts Findings

Answer 5

Participants distorted the story as they recalled it

The story became shorter (shortening)

The events changed order to fit in with cultural expectations of the participants (confabulation)

Things that happened in the story that were least familiar with British culture were changed to become more understandable (rationalisation)

Question 6

Bartlett (1932) War of the Ghosts Conclusion

Answer 6

Memory is reconstructed to fit in with pre-existing schemas.