Cognitive project 3 and 4 (NOT ME)

Course Information

  • Course Title: PSYC 445 Cognitive Psychology

  • Credit Hours: 3 semester credits

  • Semester: Spring – 2024-25

  • Instructor: Kelvin Ng

  • Email: teacherkelvinng@gmail.com

Group Research Project Overview

  • Weighting: 30% of overall grade

  • Group Size: 3 members

  • Presentation: 10% (Duration: 30 minutes, scheduled on the following dates: 10/2, 17/2, 24/2, 3/3)

  • Research Report: 20% (Length: 2500 words; to be submitted one week after the presentation)

Project Topics

  • Stroop Effect

  • Dual Task

  • Memory Test

  • The Vignette Study

Project No. 3 and 4 – Memory Test Details

Purpose

The goal of this project is to assess how well participants can recall a structured list of 16 words while also examining various factors affecting recall performance.

Word List Structure

  • Total Words: 16

  • Categories: 4 categories (for example, furniture, fruits)

  • Words per Category: 4 words

Experimental Conditions

  • Random Condition: Words presented in a randomized order (Group 3)

  • Blocked Condition: Words presented categorically (Group 4)Example: Present all 4 words from one category followed by 4 words from the next category, etc.

Experiment Procedure

  1. Recall Phase:

    • Present the list to participants.

    • Participants will recall as many words as possible, with the sequence of recall not being crucial.

    • Record the sequence of recalled items and note any errors made.

  2. Repetition:

    • Re-present the list to participants and ask for recall again.

    • Repeat this recall process three times in total.

Possible Hypotheses

  • Recall performance should improve across trials (3rd trial > 2nd trial > 1st trial).

  • The blocked condition may yield better recall performance compared to the random condition, or vice versa.

  • Investigate potential age and gender differences in recall performance.

Experimental Design Considerations

  • Design Type: Clarify whether the design is between-subjects or within-subjects.

  • Variables:

    • Independent Variable (IV): The condition (random vs. blocked)

    • Dependent Variable (DV): Recall performance (number of correctly recalled words)

Materials Needed

  • Instructions for participants

  • Two sets of stimuli (one for random conditions, one for blocked conditions)

  • Response forms to document performances

Participants Requirements

  • Determine the total number of participants and selection criteria.

  • Consider including teachers, students, and family members or friends.

  • Report the age range of participants included in the study.

Experiment Procedures

  • Ensure all participants receive the same set of instructions.

  • Specify the time allowed for recall and the presentation speed of the word list.

  • Decide on the number of words per condition and the categories of words used.

  • Include consent forms and provide debriefing information.

Instruction Examples

  • Recall Task:

    • "Recall the words I present. Remember that the sequence is not essential."

    • "You will hear the same list again; please try to remember as much as you can."

Scoring System

  • Types of Scoring:

    • Correct Items: Count of the number of correctly recalled words.

    • Intrusion Errors: Responses that were not included in the original list.

    • Perseveration Errors: Any repeated responses by participants.

  • Additional Metrics:

    • Semantic Clustering: Count the instances where items from the same category are recalled consecutively (maximum score: 12 points).

    • Subjective Organization: Count how pairs of words are recalled together across trials.

  • Recall Effects:

    • Primacy Effect: Count of accurate responses for the first 4 items in trial 3.

    • Recency Effect: Count of accurate responses for the last 4 items in trial 3.

    • Concrete vs. Abstract Objects: Identify the nature of the words in the list.

Validity Considerations

  • Practice Effect: Improvement with repeated trials could skew results.

  • Word Count Consistency: Ensure the same number of words in both conditions; too many words might cause participant fatigue.

  • Word Length Variation: Maintain consistency in the length of words used across conditions.

Data Analysis

  • Performance Recording:

    • Record recall times for both conditions:

      • Example: random condition (1st, 2nd, 3rd recall times).

      • Example: blocked condition (1st, 2nd, 3rd recall times).

  • Statistical Analysis:

    • Present descriptive statistics, such as means and standard deviations.

    • Analyze which condition leads to better performance and assess the significance of any differences found.

    • Report findings regarding recall effects such as the primacy and recency effects.

Important Reminders

  • Prepare unique materials; avoid directly copying resources provided.

Closing

This concludes the outline for the project.