Active learning ideas
Moving beyond the linear Multi-store model, this topic explores Bartlett's theory that memory is an active, reconstructive process. Students learn how our existing knowledge and expectations, known as schemas, influence how we remember events. This is a crucial shift from seeing memory as a storage unit to seeing it as an imaginative reconstruction.
Activity 01
Students replicate Bartlett's 'War of the Ghosts' experiment. One student reads a short, culturally unfamiliar story and whispers it to the next; the final version is compared to the original to identify omissions and transformations.
What are schemas?
Activity 02
Groups create 'Schema Posters' for common events like 'a birthday party' or 'a school lesson.' They walk around the room to see how similar their expectations are and discuss how these might lead to false memories.
How does reconstructive memory work?
Activity 03
Students watch a video of a minor crime. Some are 'interviewed' with leading questions while others are not. The class then acts as a jury to determine which witnesses are most reliable based on reconstructive memory theory.
How reliable is eyewitness testimony?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Schemas are always bad because they cause memory errors.
Schemas are actually essential for processing information quickly; they only become a problem when they lead to distortions. A think-pair-share activity on how schemas help us navigate a new supermarket can highlight their benefits.
Eyewitnesses who are confident are always accurate.
Research shows that confidence does not equate to accuracy, as reconstructive memory can create very vivid but false details. Comparing 'confident' but wrong student accounts of a staged classroom interruption can prove this point.
Methods used in this brief
Processes of Memory
Students will explore how information is encoded, stored, and retrieved in the human brain. They will evaluate different types of encoding and the factors that affect memory retention.
8 methodologies
Structures of Memory
This topic introduces the Multi-store model of memory, distinguishing between sensory, short-term, and long-term memory. Students will analyse the capacity and duration of each store.
8 methodologies