Grant et al

Aim?

To test for context dependent effects caused by the presence or absence of noise during learning and retrieval of meaningful material

what is context dependant memory

improved recall of information when the context present at encoding and recalling information are the same.

research method used?

• lab experiment

• independent design measure

IV

• Whether the participant read the two page article under silent or noisy conditions.

• Whether the participant was tested under matching or mismatching conditions.

What sample was used in research

• 8 members of a psychology lab class served as experimenters. Each experimenter recited 5 acquaintances to serve as the participants

• 39 participants, ranging in age from 17 to 56 years.

outline the procedure

• Each participant wore headphones. Each experimenter provided cassette player and headphones. cassettes were exact copies made from background noise recorded during lunchtime in university cafeteria.

• participants read a two-page article on psychoimmunology

• The time they took to read the article was recorded and after 2 minutes of finishing they completed to tests.

• The 10 short-answer test was always given first to ensure that recall of information from the article was being tested and not recall of information from the 16 multiple - choice test (with 4 possible choices). which was given second

• Students were tested 1 at a time. The 4 conditions were: SS, SN, NS, NN.

key findings from Grant et al.’s research?

a significant effect of studying and testing in the same conditions.
People performed best when they learnt and took the tests in the same conditions.

main conclusions from Grant et al study?

• There are context-dependency effects for newly learned meaningful material regardless of whether a short-answer test or a multiple-choice test
  is used to assess learning.

• Studying and testing in the same environment leads to enhanced performance.

• Students perform best in quite conditions.

Evaluate the research method

• controlled lab experiment, variables highly controlled

• however study used an independent measures design, this could mean there are individual differences in between groups.

Evaluate the research method data collected

quantitative data which enables it to be easily summarised an compared in between conditions.

ethical issues in Grant et al. research.

• study was conducted within ethical guidelines.

• Informed consent

• involvement was voluntary,

• They were fully debriefed.

To what extent can research by Grant et al be seen as valid?

• highly controlled lab experiment, high design validity.

• The procedure and apparatus were standardised and participants tested individually.

• A number of controls were applied.

To what extent can research by Grant et al be seen as ecologically valid?

• Reading an article was more ecologically valid in terms of in a educational learning environment.

• However, the task conducted was not part of a lesson, some heard artificial background noise which reduced the ecological validity

To what extent can research by Grant et al be seen as reliable?

The procedure was standardised as it was recreated for 39 participants in different conditions.

Inter-rater reliability between the two tests.

sampling bias?

opportunity ample. They are convenient especially in a university situation.

The sample may have been bias as only friends of the experimenters were used.

To what extent the contemporary study changes our understanding of the key theme. memory

Point: Grant et al.'s study provides further support for the idea that our memory works better when we recall information in the same context where we learned it.  

Evidence: Previous studies, like the one with deep-sea divers who remembered words better underwater if they learned them underwater too, had shown this. Grant et al. used more realistic learning materials (a psychology article) and everyday conditions (silent vs. noisy study and testing environments).  

Explain: Their findings showed that matching the study and test contexts, whether silent or noisy, improved performance on both recall and recognition tests. This reinforces the idea that environmental cues are important for memory retrieval.  

Link: Grant et al.'s study helps us understand that context-dependent memory effects are present even with everyday materials and in more realistic settings than previous research.

To what extent the contemporary study changes our understanding of individual, social and cultural diversity.

Point: Grant et al.'s study doesn't tell us much about individual, social, and cultural diversity.

Evidence: The study involved 39 participants, mainly students. This makes it difficult to apply the findings to different age groups, educational backgrounds, and cultural contexts.

Explain: While the study doesn't directly address diversity, it opens up the possibility that context-dependent memory might be influenced by individual differences in learning styles or cultural backgrounds. For example, people from cultures with strong oral traditions might rely more on auditory cues for memory retrieval.

Link: Future research could explore how context-dependent memory varies across different populations, considering factors like age, culture, and cognitive abilities.

How Grant et al.'s study relates to the key theme of memory

• Point: Grant et al.'s study directly investigates how context affects our memory.

• Evidence: They had people study a passage in either a noisy or silent environment, and then tested them on it in either a matching or mismatching environment.

• Explain: They found that people who studied and were tested in the same environment did better than those who studied and were tested in different environments. This tells us that context is important for memory retrieval. When we are in the same environment where we learned something, we have access to more cues that help us remember it.

• Link: This study provides evidence for context-dependent memory, which is the idea that our memory is better when we try to remember information in the same context where we learned it.

How Grant et al.'s study relates to the area of cognitive psychology

• Point: Grant et al.'s study clearly falls within cognitive psychology because it focuses on internal mental processes.

• Evidence: The study investigates memory, which is a key cognitive process. It looks at how environmental cues influence our ability to encode, store, and retrieve information.

• Explain: Cognitive psychology is all about understanding how we think, remember, and solve problems. Grant et al.'s research tries to figure out how our brains use environmental cues to help us remember things.

• Link: By investigating how context affects memory, Grant et al.'s study contributes to our understanding of human cognition and how our minds work