A number of materials with different kinetics and crystallography of martensitic transformations was chosen to study the reversible shape memory effect. The experiments were carried out on specimens of the following materials mass %: Cu - 13.65 Al - 13.8Ni; Fe - 17.5 Mn; Co, 77.7Cu - 8.2Al - Zn, Cu - 12.5Al - 4.5Mn. All materials were subjected to alternating torsion on cooling from austenitic state. It was concluded that reversible shape memory effect is typical of all materials which experience martensitic transformations. The nature of the phenomenon observed is analyzed on the basis of superposition model.