Article Abstract & Critique - Essay Example

Article and Critique Summary Researcher Chester A. Arthur tests cultural memory of Americans in his most recentstudy. New York Times writer Benedict Carey focuses on the memory of presidents by Arthur’s subjects to review the study (Carey 2014). According to Arthur, the recollection of presidents happens similar to laws that govern the individual types of recollection. The study notes the application of these laws is mostly effective when it comes to remembering historical dates and recalling them chronologically (Carey 2014).

The study uses four surveys conducted within the past four decades, which collectively involved a sample of a combination of more than 600 civilians and college students. Results of the study deduced that former presidents who are popular today like George Bush and Bill Clinton will be lost to public memory in a mere few decades’ time (Carey 2014). Critical Analysis Even though Author tested the cultural memory of Americans today, the wider meaning of the report was to determine forgetfulness.

Using a period of four decades, the study employs a steady list to figure out whether all societies forget public figures and major events similarly (Carey 2014). The amount of recollected information a student who has just read a list of words compares to the theory Author attempts to prove or disprove in this study. Writer Carey notes this wider meaning of the report and rightfully argues that culture mimics biology although both systems operate quite differently (Carey 2014). Author presents an interesting issue in an exciting argument that combines history with psychology in an effort to realize a one-on-one communication in the manner memory works (Carey 2014).

The article furthers this thrilling application of two fields by citing the responses of other professionals in the field who were not involved in the report like Duke University psychologist David C. Rubin (Carey 2014). The insightful feedback of other professionals on the basis and findings of this report supports readers’ agreement with the validity of the article and study. The article does have a number of downsides regarding the processes undertook to compile the report and conduct the study.

For instance, information from the actual report presented in the article by Carey is not enough (Carey 2014). From the results section, Carey only points to the primarily unchanged ranking curve observed by the study. Here, the article links this lack of change to the popularity of America’s founding fathers George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. After these leaders, the memory of the test’s subjects reduced to nil and rose once more when posed with questions about the Civil War.

The article fails to account for this reduction. A mere reference to the theory of biological systems of memory and forgetfulness does not account for this specified scenario. The study’s sample is certainly not biased. A combination of four surveys from the past forty years and carried out by different professionals from different institutes greatly contributes to the sample’s validity. Additionally, ranking popular presidents in every survey could not have been as effective as it was eventually if the sample was not objective.

This procedure by Author is qualitative and well planned, which makes details of the report consistent with the surveys it is based on (Carey 2014).Works CitedCarey, Benedict. Study on Cultural Memory Confirms: Chester A. Arthur, We Hardly Knew Ye. 2014. Web. New York Times. 2014, Nov. 28.