RECONSTRUCTIVE MEMORY Flashcards
(21 cards)
what is reconstructive memory?
theory proposed by bartlett (1932) - memory isn’t passive retrieval of exact info but active process of reconstruction , influenced by prior knowledge , expectations , beliefs , cultural schemas
what is a schema?
a mental framework built from past experiences and cultural that help interpret and organise new info
what role do schemas play in reconstructive memory?
schemas fill in gaps in memory recall , potentially distorting or altering memories to fit expectations
summarise bartletts war of ghosts study
bartlett asked british participants to recall native american story , over time recollections became shorter and more conventional to own culture , unfamiliar details ommited or altered - shows memory is reconstructed using cultutral schemas
war of ghosts key findings
participants distorted story through
- omissions (forgetting unfamiliar info)
- transformations (changing details to fit norms)
- rationalisations (adding meaning to make story coherent)
SUPPORTS THE IDEA MEMORY IS RECONSTRUCTIVE
how can reconstructive memory explain problems with eyewitness testimony?
witnesses may fill in memory gaps using schemas - eg. assuming a weapon , specific gender for criminal
leads to distorted or inaccurate recall due to pre-existing stereotypes or expectations
how does loftus and palmers research relate to reconstructive memory?
ppts watched car crash video and were asked how fast the cars were going using different verbs (eg. smashed vs hit)
smashed - higher speed estimates and false recall of broken glass
SHOWS MEMORY CAN BE INFLUENCED BY POST EVEN INFO AND RECONSTRUCTED ACCORDINGLY
how is reconstructive memory theory useful in real life?
practical applications in the legal system - highlights unreliability of eyewitness testimony
influencing changes like cognitive interview - reduces schema driven distortions during recall
what research supports reconstructive memory?
studies like loftus and palmer and bartlett show how memory is distorted by prior knowledge and language cues - empirical support strengthens theory’s validity
methodological weaknessess of bartletts war of ghosts study?
lacked standardisation and control - no scoring system , vague instructions which reduces reliability and scientific credibility
interpretations also subjective
what is an alternative explanation to reconstructive memory?
MSM!!
- more structured , biological approach to memory
- suggests errors occur due to encoding/retreival failure not reconstruction
- offers more measurable model
what is a limitation of the reconstructive memory theory regarding accuracy?
may exaggerate inaccuracy of memory - in many situations memory is accurate especially when event is distinctive , emotional , or rehearsed
suggests memory isn’t always reconstructive
give a real life example of reconstructive memory
someone recalling first day of school may remember details that never happened , eg. having a specific teacher , sitting in a particular seat to to generic schema-driven expectations about ‘ first days ‘
how does reconstructive memory fit within cognitive psychology?
- supports idea that memory is an active cognitive process involving interpretation , not just storage and retrieval
- however lacks clear structure and empirical testing found in models like MSM or WMM
how does culture influence reconstructive memory?
culture shapes schemas , so people from different cultural backgrounds may recall the same event differently
what effect does time have on memory reconstruction?
- over time original memory decays , increasing reliance on schemas to fill the gaps
- bartlett found the more time passed between recall attempts , the more distorted and schema consistent the memory became
how has reconstructive memory contributed to real world miscarriages of justice?
- faulty eye witness testimony influencing changes, shaped by schemas or misleading questions has led to wrongful convictions
- innocence project highlights cases where DNA evidence overturned convictions rooted in reconstructive memory errors
what are the types of distortions in reconstructive memory?
- assimilation - changing info to fit existing schemas
- levelling - simplifying details
- sharpening - exaggerating certain elements
how does bartletts study show high ecological validity?
used culturally unfamiliar story and natural recall tasks , which mimic rea life memory use better than artificial lab tasks so more generalisable to every day memory
how might individual differences challenge reconstructive memory?
not everyone reconstructs memory the same eg. individuals with autism or PTSD may encode and retrieve memories differently - suggests schemas not universally applied
how might reconstructive memory affect students in exams?
may recall concepts incorrectly by filling gaps with plausible but wrong info based on schemas
