Using a calendar in event dating

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.