Reconstructive Memory
Definition
The psychological model of memory as a constructive process shaped by schemas, expectations, and post-event information, rather than a fixed recording. Foundational to the Loftus research programme.
- Field
- Cognitive psychology
- Model
- Memory as constructive, not recorded
- Key influences
- Schemas, expectations, post-event information
- Associated researcher
- Elizabeth Loftus
Common questions
How does reconstructive memory explain false memories in eyewitness testimony?+
Because recall involves reassembling fragments using existing schemas and expectations rather than replaying a fixed recording, information encountered after an event, such as leading questions or media coverage, can be woven into the memory and later reported as if it had been witnessed directly.
Does reconstructive memory mean eyewitnesses are always unreliable?+
Not always. Confidence and detail do not reliably predict accuracy, but well-controlled interviewing that avoids suggestive questioning can still yield useful testimony; the model explains why memory is vulnerable to distortion, not that it is uniformly worthless.
Related terms
- Cross-Race Effect
- The empirical finding that own-race identifications are more accurate than cross-race identifications (Meissner and Brigham meta-analysis, 2001), with practical implications for lineup...
- Estimator Variables
- Factors present at the time of the crime that affect encoding accuracy but cannot be retrospectively controlled, including weapon focus, cross-race effect,...
- Misinformation Effect
- The incorporation of misleading post-event information into the original memory trace, documented by Loftus and Palmer (1974) and subsequent studies. Distinguished from...
- Post-Identification Feedback Effect
- The inflation of witness confidence, perceived viewing quality, and retrospective memory detail following confirming feedback from an investigator. Documented by Wells and...
- R V. Turnbull Warning
- A mandatory judicial warning in English and Welsh Crown Court proceedings when the case depends substantially on identification evidence, requiring the jury...
- System Variables
- Factors in the identification process that are within the control of the criminal justice system, including lineup administration, instructions, and feedback policies....
- Weapon Focus Effect
- The reduced encoding of a perpetrator's face when a weapon is present, attributable to attentional narrowing toward the threat-relevant stimulus (Steblay meta-analysis,...