A large amount of research is consistent with the idea that remembering is reconstructive. The standard textbook account holds that certain forms of remembering are reconstructive whereas others are reproductive. However, a strong case can be made that all remembering is reconstructive.
Is memory a reconstructive process?
the process of remembering conceived as involving the recreation of an experience or event that has been only partially stored in memory. When a memory is retrieved, the process uses general knowledge and schemas for what typically happens in order to reconstruct the experience or event.
Is memory reproductive or reconstructive?
Reproductive memory stores encoded information to be retrieved at a later time. Reconstructive memory uses stored information to construct a belief about a past experience. The dominant view in psychology is that many episodic memories are reconstructive while semantic memories are reproductive.