Fuzzy-trace theory
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Fuzzy-trace theory (FTT) is a theory of cognition originally proposed by Valerie F. Reyna and Charles Brainerd[1] to explain cognitive phenomena, particularly in memory and reasoning.
FTT posits two types of memory processes (verbatim and gist) and, therefore, it is often referred to as a dual process theory of memory. According to FTT, retrieval of verbatim traces (recollective retrieval) is characterized by mental reinstatement of the contextual features of a past event, whereas retrieval of gist traces (nonrecollective retrieval) is not. In fact, gist processes form representations of an event's semantic features rather than its surface details, the latter being a property of verbatim processes.
The theory has been used in areas such as cognitive psychology, human development, and social psychology to explain, for instance, false memory[2] and its development,[3] probability judgments,[4] medical decision making,[5][6][7][8] risk perception and estimation, and biases and fallacies in decision making.[9][10]
FTT can explain phenomena involving both true memories (i.e., memories about events that actually happened) as well as false memories (i.e., memories about events that never happened).[2][11]