reconstructive memory

n. Reconstructive memory is the process by which we recall the past, assembling the past each time we remember. When we try to remember the past, we do not replay an event as a video camera might. Rather, we “reconstruct” what happened, sometimes by drawing inferences about what happened or piecing together information that seems plausible. The memory process comprises three essential stages: acquisition, retention, and retrieval. Acquisition refers to an individual’s initial experience, when attention is devoted and the event is encoded in memory. Retention is the amount of time that elapses between the original event and recall. The final stage of the memory process is retrieval of the event. It is during retrieval that we construct a narrative of the event, filling in any gaps with logical details, thus reconstructing the event in a way that differs in some way from the original event. – TP, EFL