CEFR C1

reconstructive memory

noun phrase

Meaning

The process where memories are not recalled as exact recordings, but are rebuilt or reassembled each time they are accessed, potentially incorporating new information or biases.

Examples

  • Reconstructive memory explains why eyewitness testimony can sometimes be unreliable.
  • Our understanding of childhood events is often shaped by reconstructive memory.

Synonyms: fallible memory, malleable memory, recollection process