STUDIES - Brewer and Treyens (1981)

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

• Experiment used to study role of schema in memory

Question 2

Aim

Answer 2

• Investigate role of schema in encoding and retrieval of episodic memory

Question 3

Procedure

Answer 3

SAMPLE

• 86 university psychology students

STEPS

1) Participants were seated in room resembling an office with:

• Typical objects: Papers, notes…
• Non-typical objects: Skull…
• Omitted objects: Books…

2) Each participant was asked to sit (everyone same spot)

3) Researcher left and said he would return shortly

4) 30 seconds later, participants were called into another room and were asked what they remembered from office

METHOD
Random allocation to 3 conditions:

• C1 (recall):
  – Write description: Objects they could remember (location, size, colour)
  – Verbal recognition test: List of objects and rate each item for how sure they were was in the room
• C2 (drawing): Given outline of room and draw objects they remembered
• C3 (verbal recognition): Were read list of objects and asked whether in room or not

Question 4

Results

Answer 4

Description and drawing:

• Most recalled items that were congruent with office schema
• Few recalled items that were incongruent with office schema
• Changed nature of objects to match schema (shape, colour)

Verbal recognition:

• Most recalled items that were incongruent with office schema
• Most recalled items that were congruent with office schema but not present (omitted objects)

Question 5

Findings

Answer 5

• Schema plays a role in both the encoding and recall of objects in office

Question 6

Strengths

Answer 6

• Rich understanding: Research produced both quantitative (nº errors/object) and qualitative (responses) data
• Ethical considerations like right to withdraw and debriefing were met

Question 7

Limitations

Answer 7

• Results don’t explain why some recalled specific objects and but others didn’t
• Could not verify participants’ schema prior to experiment
  — BUT: Researchers did questionnaire with students to determine schema-congruent objects
• Ethical considerations like deception and informed consent were not met
  — Participants had agreed to participate but were deceived about the nature of the study and when it began
  — BUT: Necessary to avoid demand characteristics bias
• Low generalisability: Participants were psychology students, knew about these topics (others might not)
• Low cross-cultural generalisability: Was only in one specific university, other places and universities might have done differently (office schemas different depending on culture)