Transcript The Effects of Study and Test Variables on MEMORY

SMART PEOPLE???
The Effects of Study and Test Variables on
MEMORY:
Oh Man, Did You Guys Mess
Up…
Remember?
Types of memories
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1. True memory - accurate recollection
2. False memory - recalling events that never
occurred or occurred differently
Objective
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Purpose – to investigate the causes of false
memory and the factors that reduce it
We used the Deese-Roediger-McDermott
(DRM) list-learning method to elicit false
memory
What is the DRM procedure?
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List consisting of 15 words associated to a
critical word but not including the critical word
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Critical Word – “sleep” – bed, rest, awake, etc.
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These lists lead to false recall of critical word
Four Manipulated Variables in the
Team 5 Experiment
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Modality – Auditory vs. Visual
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Presentation Rate – Fast vs. Slow
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Test condition – Group vs. Individual
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Sex – Male vs. Female
Previous Research Related to
Modality
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Smith and Hunt (1998) - visual
presentation reduces false memories
Maylor and Mo (1999) - auditory study
reduces false memories
Previous Research Related to Rate
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Toglia and Neuschat’s (1996) - faster
presentation increases the probability of
false recall
Gallo, et. al (2001) - a slower presentation
increases false memory
Previous Research on Individual or
Group Recall
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Weldon and Bellinger (1997) - groups
perform better than individuals for true
memory
Previous Research on Sex
Differences in Recall Ability
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No past studies on false memory
True Memory
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Ionescu (2002) found no differences
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Andersson (2001) - females recall better
Hypotheses
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Presentation factors that will lead to more
false memory
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Auditory
Fast
Collaborative recall
We have no prediction regarding sex
differences
Subjects and Materials
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81 NJ Governor’s School scholars were tested
12 DRM lists were arranged in four groups of
three
Each set had the same probability of eliciting
false memories
Experimental Design
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Group or individual recall, separated by sex
Words presented slowly (every 3 sec) or quickly
(every .5 sec), and visually or orally
The lists presented in the same order, but the
manner was rotated
Procedure
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Subjects were not made aware that the tests
elicited false memory
Subjects were urged not to guess and to only
write words they were sure had been
presented
All subjects received the same testing
treatment
Results
Data Collection
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Counted proportion of correctly recalled words per set
of 45 words
Counted proportion of critical missing words recalled
out of 3 possible
Counted average number of extraneous words recalled
per set
Examined overall effects and two-way interactions
between variables
Sex
Modality
Variables
Rate
Individual
Group
Fast
Slow
Auditory
Visual
Male
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Female
Proportion recalled
Figure 1: Main Effects on True Memory
Test
Sex
Modality
Variables
Rate
Individual
Group
Fast
Slow
Auditory
Visual
Male
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Female
Proportion recalled
Figure 3: Main Effects on False Memory
Test
Proportion recalled
False memory: Interaction between
Rate and Test
1
0.8
0.6
Indiv.
0.4
Group
0.2
0
Slow
Fast
Conclusion
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Study shows how we might be able to
minimize false memories
Variables that showed better results for true
memory also had fewer instances of false recall
If people are able to remember items more
specifically, they are less likely to remember
extraneous information
Even NJ’s finest cannot evade this evil
Team 5
THE EFFECTS OF STUDY AND TEST
VARIABLES ON MEMORY
Leslie Bilello, Christina Cordeiro, Michael
Flores, Pam Freed, Gregory Kranz, Michael
Levin, Julius Li, Aakash Madhu, Leslie
O’Mahony, Mara Villanueva, Justine Wu
 Advisor: Patrick Dolan
 Assistant: Jennifer Sissman
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