Allport and Postman (1947)


• Aim: 

  To investigate how information changes as it's transmitted from person to person, demonstrating schema influence on memory and communication.
• Procedure:

  1. Used "serial reproduction" method
  2. Participants shown a complex image briefly
  3. First participant described image to second (unseen) participant
  4. Process repeated up to 6-7 times
  5. Key image: subway scene with Black and White men arguing, White man holding razor
• Results:

  1. Descriptions became shorter, simpler, more coherent
  2. Details changed to fit expectations/schemas
  3. In subway scene:

  • Roles often reversed (Black man described as holding razor)
  • Details added (e.g., "brandishing" the razor)
• Conclusions:

  1. Memory and communication are reconstructive, influenced by schemas
  2. Cultural stereotypes impact information processing
  3. Information simplifies and aligns with expectations over transmission
• Strengths:

  1. Ecological validity: The task mimics real-world rumor transmission.
  2. Influential findings: Demonstrated schema effects on memory and communication.
  3. Replicability: The procedure is clear and has been replicated in various forms.
  4. Practical implications: Insights into eyewitness testimony reliability and stereotype perpetuation.
• Limitations:

  1. Ethical concerns: The study may have reinforced harmful stereotypes.
  2. Cultural bias: Conducted in mid-20th century America; results may not generalize across cultures or time.
  3. Artificial setting: Lab environment may not fully reflect natural communication processes.
  4. Demand characteristics: Participants might have guessed the study's purpose and altered their responses.
  5. Limited stimulus: Using a single image limits generalizability of findings.