Transcript Effect of Text Background Color On How Many Numbers Are

EFFECT OF TEXT
BACKGROUND COLOR ON HOW
MANY NUMBERS ARE
REMEMBERED
Andy Lee
PROBLEM STATEMENT

How does the background color of text affect
memory?
HYPOTHESES
If the background color is white, then more
numbers will be memorized.
 (Null) There will be no difference in results for
the different background colors.

BASIC CONCEPTS

Visual Cortex: Part of the brain that processes
information from visual input.
See things better with higher contrast (easier to see)
 Yellow + white=low contrast, hence it is hard to see


Short Term Memory
Memories decay very fast
 Must recall this short term memory in order to turn
it into long term memory
 Chunks of information are easily stored instead of
large strings.
 192-168-21 is easier then reading 19216821

DESIGN DIAGRAM
IV: Color of text background
LEVELS
Blue
Green
Red
Yellow
White*
20
20
20
20
20
Background
Colors
Trials
Dependent Variable: Amount of Numbers Memorized
Constants: Color of text, size of card, amount of numbers on
card, time allowed to memorize
RESULTS
Color
Red
Yellow
Blue
Green
White
Average
6.14
7
6.81
6.23
8.94
DATA
These are the results of
100 tests.
 Each person did each
color, so I only had to
get 20 signatures 
 5x20=100

DATA (IN TABLE FORM)
Red
Yellow
Blue
Green
White
3687487
5985945
6 12 4 4 6 8
43666
8597384
11 3 5 6 8 8
5666694
7 4 5 12 3
7 6 7 4 7 14
3835245
5349658
55967
5767567
7 9 6 10 9 3
10 7 4 3 5 4
655668
10 7 10 4 10
10 5 6 9 11
8 8 9 6 8 10
985669
11 10 8
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
Colors
Expected
Observed
O-E
(O-E)²
(O-E)²
E
Red
8.94
6.14
2.8
7.84
.877
Yellow
8.94
7
-1.94
-3.7636
.421
Blue
8.94
6.81
-2.13
-4.5369
.507
Green
8.94
6.23
-2.71
7.3441
.821
White
8.94
8.94
0
0
0
↑
↑
Used this number for my expected because
it was the control.
2.626
↑
χ² value
GRAPH OF THE AVERAGES
Amount of numbers remembered
The Effect of Text Background Color On
How Many Numbers Are Remembered
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Red
Yellow
Blue
Green
Color of background
White
CONCLUSIONS PART ONE

I can accept my null hypothesis.

(Null) There will be no difference in results for the
different background colors.
My p-value was 2.626.
 This means .7 < p < .5.

CONCLUSIONS PART TWO

HOWEVER
Colors
Expected Observed
O-E
(O-E)²
(O-E)²
E
Red
8.94
6.14
2.8
7.84
.877
Yellow
8.94
7
-1.94
-3.7636
.421
Blue
8.94
6.81
-2.13
-4.5369
.507
Green
8.94
6.23
-2.71
7.3441
.821
White
8.94
8.94
0
0
0
↑
2.626
The observed value for the white colored background is
obviously higher than the rest
SOURCES OF ERROR PART ONE

Color blind people


They may not be affected by the colors, making my
results insignificant
Pressure

I would sometimes ask people in a really urgent voice
because of my impatience.
SOURCES OF ERROR PART TWO

Patterns







It was brought to my attention that one of the
numbers was easy to remember.
492819421975190. Hard?
4928 1942 1975 190
1942=WW II
1975=Easy year to remember
Only leaves 7 numbers to really remember.
Background noise

Distracted some people
IMPROVEMENTS
Can’t do anything for colorblind people. Sorry.
 Could say in instructions: “Memorize this and
when I say stop, repeat it to me,” instead of
asking after they were done.
 Do it in an isolated room
 Kept the light conditions the same



Incandescent/Fluorescent
Try to keep patterns out of the numbers, but that
would defeat the purpose of having them as
random numbers.
EXTENSIONS
Effect of text color on memory.
 Effect of talking out loud during memorization on
memorization.
 Test different colors such as purple or orange

THANKS TO
All of those who participated.
 Mrs. P for teaching us Chi-squared analysis.
 To those who listened to this presentation.
 Yeah that’s all.


Happy 4th day of 2011
Super small text good job if you read this