Perhaps there is an archival record that could be used to corroborate or discredit aspects of Mr. Cain's current (and varying) recollections. The event involved a settlement, so various details might be contained in the documents surrounding that settlement (including who signed what settlement agreements). Perhaps an analysis similar to the one Neisser did on John Dean's testimony (comparing statements about conversations on specific dates made under oath to transcripts of those conversations included in the Nixon tapes).
The ongoing statements could be evaluated as an interesting replication of Bartlett's method of repeated recollection . . . without the original story to guide us on introduction of new details, loss of earlier details, and other distortions. :-) For those unfamiliar with Neisser's study, you can find it in two locations: Memory Observed (2nd ed). Neisser & Hyman, Worth Publishers Neisser, U. (1981). John Dean's memory. *Cognition, 9*, 1-22. Claudia J. Stanny, Ph.D. Director Center for University Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Associate Professor School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences University of West Florida 11000 University Parkway Pensacola, FL 32514 – 5751 Phone: (850) 857-6355 or 473-7435 [email protected] CUTLA Web Site: http://uwf.edu/cutla/ Personal Web Pages: http://uwf.edu/cstanny/website/index.htm --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=13846 or send a blank email to leave-13846-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
