| Abstract: | Three experiments examined Thompson's reconstructive account for estimating the temporal location of an event. Thompson's day‐of‐week (DOW) model suggests that people know the DOW because diary studies have consistently produced dating errors at 7‐day intervals (e.g. 0, 7, 14, 21, etc.). This study determined whether this DOW effect was produced by a calendar. It also examined whether time estimations were primarily reconstructed. A calendar improved both date and DOW estimates, but neither estimate depended on the use of a calendar. In addition, both date and DOW estimates were primarily reconstructed, but a large portion of DOW estimates were reproduced. Therefore, the argument was made that theories explaining memory for temporal location should account for both reproductive and reconstructive processes. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
