Reconstructive Memory

The theory of reconstructive memory states that memory is like orange juice.

Memory isn't like a tape recorder. It's not a completely accurate representation of your life experiences, but rather a reconstruction that leaves out and distorts details, kind of like how orange juice that isn't 100% concentrated gains impurities and is therefore not the pure orangey goodness that we have all come to know and respect.

Whenever we reconstruct a memory, we are activating schemata that are relevant to the event, meaning that we're basically summoning forth a bunch of individual sections of the memory. It's all categorized by bits. For example, if you wanted to remember of the time Aidan accidentally fell off his chair, you can't just call forth one giant 'memory' of it. Instead, you would call forth bits of the memory, like the visual of his hair flying through the air, the sound of the chair hitting the ground, etc.

Because of this, the memories are easier to store but more susceptible to distortion, like how increasing the surface area of a cell allows it to absorb more nutrients. Basically, memory is just an imaginative reconstruction of all your experiences in the past.

Related Studies:

Loftus & Palmer (1974)