serial reproduction

a method for studying memory in which one person reads a set of information before reproducing it for another person, who then reproduces it for a third person, who does the same for a fourth, and so on. Serial reproduction is widely regarded as a model for the social communication of retained information, and as such it is an important experimental tool in the analysis of rumor and gossip transmission, stereotype formation, and similar phenomena. The processes at work in changes that occur in serial reproductions by different individuals—that is, leveling (simplification), sharpening (emphasis on selected details), and assimilation—have been of great theoretical importance both in social psychology and in theories of personality. See also chain reproduction; repeated reproduction. [developed in 1932 by Frederic C. Bartlett]

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Psychology term of the day

February 25th 2025

marital conflict

open or latent antagonism between marriage partners. The nature and intensity of conflicts varies greatly, but studies indicate that the prime sources are often sexual disagreement, child-rearing differences, temperamental differences (particularly the tendency of one partner to dominate), and, to a lesser extent, religious differences, differences in values and interests, and disagreements over money management.