OCR A-level Psychology- Cognitive area- Memory- Grant et al

Aim

To investigate context-dependent memory effects on recall and recognition of newly learnt material

Sample

8 psychology students recruited 39 ppts that were recorded (One was omitted as his scores were atypically low)

Method

Using background noise to see if when the ppts are given a recall and recognition test (In that order) can perform effectively

Conditions

-Silent-Noisy condition
-Noisy-Silent condition
-Nosy-Noisy condition
-Silent-Silent condition

Apparatus

-Cassette tapes
-Background noise was collected at a noisy lunchtime at a Uni cafeteria
-Psychoimmunology sheet
-The recognition and recall test
-Headphones

Procedure

Participants read a two-page article, designed to be testing comprehension of the text rather than learning word for word. Ppts were read aloud standardised instructions that described the tasks as part of a class project and emphasised that they were voluntary.
Ppts read the article once and were told that they could highlight/underline as they read. They had been told that they would have to complete a short-answer and multiple-choice task based on the article. Each Ppt was tested individually and the procedure lasted approximately 30 minutes in total. In the test phase, all ppts wore headphones and the silent and noisy conditions were given similar instructions as in the study phase.
The participants then did the recall test first and then the recognition test.
The participants were then debriefed as to the true purpose of the study.

Controls

- Ppts had a break of approximately two minutes during which they rested without headphones on between the reading and test
- All ppts wore headphones while they read.

Recall Results

S-S= 6.7 N-N= 6.2

Recognition Results

S-S= 14.3 N-N=14.3

Conclusions

Grant et al concluded that significant context dependency effects occurred for memory of meaningful to-be-remembered material, and this was true for both recall (tested by a short-answer test) and recognition (tested by a multiple choice test). They also concluded that if students want to take advantage of this effect they should study in silence without background noise, including music, since they will be tested under silent conditions.

Research method

Lab experiment- Highly controlled

Data

Quantitative- Easily summarised and analysed

Ethics

Conducted ethically- full consent and debriefed

Validity

Highly controlled lab experiment- standardised- High internal validity

Ecological validity

Low ecological validity- Though they tried to present meaningful material to Ppts- Ppts wore headphones, even when they wouldn't listen to anything- not like real life

Reliability

Highly controlled- Easily replicable

Sampling

Opportunity sample- Students would get Ppts- Possible Biases in sample

Ethnocentrism

Cognitive process on reconstructive memory is species-specific- The study was in the US- may be different in other areas

As a science

Lab experiment following scientific criteria

Usefulness

Suggests that students would perform better without background noise whilst studying to benefit from context-dependent memory

Falls into the cognitive area

Investigates cognitive processes of context-dependant memory of recall and recognition of newly learnt material

Links to key theme

Demonstrates that newly learnt material can be memorised more effectively when benefiting from context-dependent memory by learning in silence

Changes understanding of key theme

Adding understanding of how memory works by looking at context-dependent memory

Similar to Loftus & Palmer

-Highly controlled Lab experiments
-Independent measures design
-Ethical
-Quantitative data

Different to Loftus & Palmer

- LP looked at reconstructive memory, whilst Grant looked at Context-dependant memory
-LP cannot be generalised to target pop. , whilst Grant can