Dave’s mother asks him about a child’s birthday party he attended several weeks before. He doesn’t remember the party very well but tells her that cake was served. After all, cake is typically served at a child’s birthday party. What is this called?

  1. Long-term memory
  2. Schema
  3. Reconstruction
  4. Retrieval-memory
Explanation

Answer: C - Memory is not always a matter of retrieval. Reconstruction is the process by which a person reconstructs a memory based on a combination of memory of the event and prior knowledge. In this example, Dave knows he attended the party and perhaps remembers some details. He reconstructs the cake memory based on what he is sure of and what he can assume based on prior knowledge. He may even believe or be able to imagine a reconstructed memory of the cake being served or Happy Birthday being sung.

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