Reconstructive memory- Bartlett (1932)

Bartlett stated that it is our schemata that determine how we recall something and that these are templates basted on past experiences that we use to fill in the gaps within a story with our expectations. The information is input via the senses, is processed and interpreted (using schemas), which determines the recall.

Bartless tested his theory using 'War of the Ghosts', using a method of repeated reproduction. He used a native American folk story which was unfamiliar and had different expectations to the sample being used. Each participant read through the story twice at their normal reading speed. They were then asked to recall the story, first after 15 minutes and then at varing intervals including; soon afterwards, sometime later and after a year. Changes in the story began to occur and things that were added in the orginal telling became more profound over time. There was elaboration in the story. They conformed to ideas that were expected within their own culture e.g. someone dying at sunset instead of sunrise. After six recall sessions, it was reduced from 330 words to 180.

Wynn and Logie decided to retest Bartlett's ideas using a real life situation. The event was first year psychology students' recall if places and events during their first week at university. They were unaware that recall would be asked for. Recall occurred after; 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months and 6 months. 128 participants did the first recall, 63 went on with the study. They then had to attend on a differing number of occassions; once in March, twice in March and May or three times in January, March and May. They found that there is little reduction in the amount of information recalled over time. They concluded that there is less reproduction in real life than Bartlett suggested and distinctive events are resistant to change over time.