Note
Studied by 13 peopleAnderson 9: Narrative+
What One takes Away
What are the factors influencing our emotional engagement during film viewing?
Our emotional engagement during film viewing is influenced by moment-to-moment concern for the characters and our perception of affordances in the diegetic world.
What does Neisser note about memory?
Neisser notes that psychology has evolved in its understanding of memory.
While perceptual psychologists focus on larger units of perception rather than discrete sensory data.
cognitive psychologists have expanded the scope of memory to include not only specific events but also facts, story structures, routines, and spatial layouts.
both consider the broader context in which perception occurs.
What was the traditional view of memory according to perceptual psychologists?
Perceptual psychologists traditionally assumed that memory began with discrete units of sensory data that were processed to form a perceptual experience.
What is the contemporary understanding of memory according to cognitive psychologists?
Cognitive psychologists understand memory to encompass not only specific events but also broader concepts such as facts, story structures, routines, and spatial layouts.
What are some examples of broader perceptual and cognitive frameworks in film memory?
Examples include remembering facts, story structures, routines, and spatial layouts depicted in the film.
How do these broader frameworks enhance our understanding of memory?
These broader frameworks help us understand that memory encompasses more than just specific events; it also includes the context in which these events occur and the larger narrative structures they contribute to.
the overall story in a way
What surprising discovery has been made regarding memory, particularly in children? How does Neisser describe this?
Children are better at remembering scripts (enduring and recurrent experiences) than the individual episodes from which they are composed.
Neisser prefers to describe the process ecologically, suggesting that a child's memory is simply more attuned to certain types of memory structures, such as repeated sequences, than others like unique episodes.
childs memory is more attuned to one class of memoria (repeated sequences) than to unique episodes
Why can specific episodes be entirely forgotten while generic memories persist?
The more similar the episodes are, the more likely their common structure becomes salient while their individual characteristics are forgotten.
Therefore, generic memories persist because they represent enduring and recurrent experiences.
childs memory is more attuned to one class of memoria (repeated sequences) than to unique episodes
What is the hierarchical organization of memory, according to Mandler and Neisser?
Mandler describes the schema for stories as hierarchical, ordered, and abstract. Similarly, Neisser suggests that memory is also organized hierarchically, with events nested within larger structures.
How does the organization of autobiographical memory parallel hierarchical organization?
The organization of autobiographical memory mirrors the hierarchical organization of the remembered events themselves, with mental representations nested within one another.
What did Gibson suggest about hierarchical organization in perception?
Gibson noted that environmental sequences commonly have cycles embedded in larger cycles, indicating nested events units within other units.
How do we remember events according to hierarchical organization?
We perceive and remember events at multiple levels of analysis, from individual sentences to conference talks, reflecting the nested structure of memory and perception.
What is remarkable about both superordinate and subordinate events in memory?
Both superordinate (larger) and subordinate (smaller) events can be remembered, but long-term memory tends to favor superordinate units, highlighting the importance of overall structures in memory retention.
This aligns with the Gestalt psychology principle that the whole is more memorable than the parts.
this shows how long-term memory favor different levels of the memory hierarchy
What are the implications of this memory hierarchy for biographical memory, story recall, and film viewing experiences?
The memory hierarchy suggests that all levels of memory are subject to forgetting, with lower levels being more vulnerable than higher ones. This applies to biographical memory, recall of stories, and what is remembered from film viewing experiences.
How does film viewing impact our cognitive schemata?
Film viewing experiences modify the schemata we bring to other experiences in the world, just like other perceptual and cognitive cycles.
This implies that watching a film changes the way we interact with the world by altering our cognitive frameworks.
ex: watching a movie about kidnapping might make you feel scared every time you see a white van
What specific schemata are mentioned in relation to film viewing? How is it modified?
Professional film viewers, akin to professional chess players, have developed elaborate film viewing schemata.
These schemata are modified as individuals watch films that stretch their capacity for understanding.
How do film viewing experiences impact our overall schemata?
Films have a major impact because they can change the way we think about things beyond the realm of movies, affecting our perceptions and interactions in the real world.
Films have the capacity to change our understanding of real-world concepts, making their impact significant beyond the realm of movies themselves.
What parallels can be drawn between the impact of film viewing and other cognitive processes?
Similar to other perceptual and cognitive cycles, film viewing experiences have the potential to reshape our cognitive schemata, influencing our perceptions and behaviors in various contexts.
What is emphasized about the distinction between film fiction and reality?
It is emphasized that film is a framed activity set apart from reality, and not recognizing the difference between fiction and reality is considered a sign of insanity.
How does awareness of common elements between fiction and reality influence memory?
Elements common to both fiction and reality, particularly those of the superordinate category, are more likely to be retained in long-term memory.
These abstract elements can transcend the frame of the film and directly affect the viewer's worldview.
How is the film viewing experience characterized?
The film viewing experience is described as a form of vigorous mental play, set apart from ordinary experience within a surrogate world that engages the senses of sight and sound.
Viewers engage with the film's world using the same perceptual strategies as they do in everyday life, sorting out its physical, social, and psychological complexities.
Viewers can experience real emotions and gain genuine insights as they engage with the film's world,
How can the film viewing experience impact individuals?
The film viewing experience has the potential to change individuals in various ways, altering their perceptions, attitudes, and understanding of the world to some degree.
What role does the framing of film play in shaping the viewing experience?
The framing of film as a separate activity from reality allows viewers to engage with the surrogate world of the film, experiencing emotions and insights while recognizing the distinction between fiction and reality.
How does memory loss of specific details affect the accuracy of recollection?
Memory loss of specific details makes memory vulnerable to unintended distortion, leading to situations where overall events are remembered accurately, but specific characteristics are forgotten or misrepresented.
so there is some validity here within the remembrance of the overall events
why something seems true even when its false
What concept does Spence introduce regarding memory accuracy?
Spence introduces the concept of "historical truth," acknowledging that memory may not fully preserve the richness of what truly happened but can be accurate with respect to overall characteristics of the situation.
How does Brannigan's concept of fictional truth relate to Spence's narrative truth?
Brannigan's concept of fictional truth aligns with Spence's narrative truth, suggesting that episodes of fiction may accurately convey larger structures or overall events, even if specific details are fictionalized or nonspecific.
same idea but specifically for fictional films
What is Brannigan's notion of fiction as a partially determined referent?
Brannigan proposes that fiction serves as a partially determined referent, pointing to larger structures or overall events rather than specific, factual occurrences.
How does the experience of a film differ from its pro-filmic event according to Brannigan?
Brannigan suggests that experiencing a film involves reference to post-filmic events, where patterns are discovered through active perception, shaping the overall structure of our knowledge.
What role do visual images play in memory recollection according to Neisser?
Neisser suggests that visual images accompanying generic memories serve to illustrate the memory rather than carry specific information, even if the images themselves are not entirely accurate.
Mental images, whether derived from personal or fictional experiences, function to illustrate general recollections, capturing the essence of the memory rather than specific details.