To what extent is memory reliable? Use two research studies to show support for/against the reliability of memory. (Using Critical Thinking/MAGEC) minimum of two.
Joseph Bartlett’s ‘War of the Ghosts’ experiments
Background:
Barlett (1932) recreated this experiment based off a german scientist by the name of Ebbinghaus. In order to study the pure memory of a subject, Barlett recreated an unfamiliar story that the subject must read.
From this, people began to recreate events from the story that have never happened before to fit in with their already existed knowledge.
Aim:
Barlett’s aim was to study the pure memory of a patient. And to see what social and cultural factors influence ones mind and how memory is not very liable and can lead to different sorts of distortions. …show more content…
All of these participants were English and were told to read a Native American folk tale.
The participants were told to read this story and then try and recall it several times.
Different types of reproduction occurred to test the reliability of memory.
Serial Reproduction: the first person wrote down what he comprehended from the reading, the second person was told to read the paper and reproduce the first persons work. This procedure went on until 6-7 subjects have completed it.
Repeated Reproduction: the subject is told to repeat his own story several times, this can happen every 15 minutes to several years.
Results:
The more remakes of this story there was, the more distortions to the original. Patients began to change words such as “canoes” and “hunting” to words such as “boats” and “fishing”.
These distortions occur because people tend to relate memories to previous existing knowledge and relating it to cultural and social influences around them.
With their use of cultural experiences, the story begins to make sense to them because of their relations to what they perceive to be comfortable.
Joseph Bartlett’s ‘War of the Ghosts’ experiments
Background:
Barlett (1932) recreated this experiment based off a german scientist by the name of Ebbinghaus. In order to study the pure memory of a subject, Barlett recreated an unfamiliar story that the subject must read.
From this, people began to recreate events from the story that have never happened before to fit in with their already existed knowledge.
Aim:
Barlett’s aim was to study the pure memory of a patient. And to see what social and cultural factors influence ones mind and how memory is not very liable and can lead to different sorts of distortions. …show more content…
All of these participants were English and were told to read a Native American folk tale.
The participants were told to read this story and then try and recall it several times.
Different types of reproduction occurred to test the reliability of memory.
Serial Reproduction: the first person wrote down what he comprehended from the reading, the second person was told to read the paper and reproduce the first persons work. This procedure went on until 6-7 subjects have completed it.
Repeated Reproduction: the subject is told to repeat his own story several times, this can happen every 15 minutes to several years.
Results:
The more remakes of this story there was, the more distortions to the original. Patients began to change words such as “canoes” and “hunting” to words such as “boats” and “fishing”.
These distortions occur because people tend to relate memories to previous existing knowledge and relating it to cultural and social influences around them.
With their use of cultural experiences, the story begins to make sense to them because of their relations to what they perceive to be comfortable.