script
knowledge of structure for an event or situation
heuristic
rule of thumb, guideline based on knowledge
schema
mental structure that organizes info
can be used with heuristics to tell us what to expect
Bartletts repeated reproduction technique
first to report that memory retrieval is reconstructive, fragile, reencoded every time its retrieved
we use general knowledge and expectations from experience to organize memories (schemas)
- pts reproduce (verbally or by drawing) something over and over again from memory and it will almost always turn into something more familiar and culturally relevant as it is reencoded
Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) procedure
semantically related lists of words lead pts to falsely remember semantically related words that were NOT on the list
If attention is divided, effect is seen less bc there is less attention available to activate schema
Support for Activation-monitoring theory, a type of source monitoring error in which we use a schema to come to a conclusion and attribute it to a memory
Activation monitoring theory
proposed that we activate a schema and falsely attribute the source to an episodic memory - source monitoring error
Support: DRM procedure
Also, if there is less available attention, there is less source monitoring errors bc less attention available to activate schema
misinformation effect
people tend to recall what they were told about an event rather than their experience of the event - for other people
phases of the misinformation effect
Implanted memories
false memories regarding yourself
“shopping mall study”
harder to implant but still very effective - easier with photoshop
procedure of shopping mall study
Problems with eye-witness testimony
knowledge = ___ memory
semantic
category vs concept vs exemplar
category: group of objects that belong together
concept: mental representation of a category
exemplar: an item in the category
classical view of categorization
categories are defined by a list of necessary and sufficient features
necessary vs sufficient
N: must have all
S: no other features required
problems with classical view of categorization
Typicality effects
Prototype theory
Rather than defining features (classical), exemplars have characteristic features (common features that are not required for the category)
We determine category membership by matching item with prototype stored in memory (every member shared at least 1 feature with another member)
Compare stored prototype with exemplars
central tendency for exemplars
categories have a central tendency in which exemplars with the most characteristic features are found
All category members share ____ even if they are atypical members
family resemblance
Levels of categories
superordinate: broad category, e.g. mammal, plant - distinctive but not that informative
basic: moderately specific, e.g. dog, tree - informative and distinctive
Subordinate: specific, e.g. poodle, maple - informative but not distinctive
exemplar theory
“opposite” of prototype
We store exemplars and create a prototype if necessary
Research supports this theory more
Pro: allows access to atypical exemplars thru memory
more characteristics = close to the
prototype
Similarity theories
Exemplar and prototype theory