Lab 3
Memory Span, Irrelevant Speech, Mental Rotation
Memory Span, Irrelevant Speech, Mental Rotation
Memory Span Lab
Data
Type of Items Final List Length
Digits 8
Letters 7
Words 4
● How does the pattern of your individual data relate to the pattern of results predicted?
My pattern of individual data is exactly as predicted, with my memory span appearing to be longest for digits and slightly lower for letters. The results for my word memory span were significantly lower than both, which differs from the prediction that memory span for words should be only slightly lower than digits and letters (MindTap, 2014).
● Why are some stimuli easier to remember than others? What trick did you use to perform better in this lab?
I did not use any control process or chunking that I am aware of. Towards the end of the trials, I did start to say the items out loud, as I was hoping this would help me remember the words better, but I do not think it did.
Stimuli characteristics, such as differential distinctiveness, and rehearsal time our memory span. According to the levels of processing theory, we are better able to recall a stimulus when we mentally make an association, personally connect, or apply a context to it (Practical Psychology, 2020). It is also theorized that we have been conditioned to remember digits, such as phone numbers, which explains why we perform better in those trials. I suspect I performed poorly on the word trials because they were longer, using up more capacity, and I did not make any associations for them.
Quiet .771
Irrelevant Speech .843
● How does the pattern of your individual data relate to the pattern of results predicted?
Interestingly, my results were opposite of those predicted, meaning I scored slightly higher for the irrelevant speech trials than on the Quiet trials Predicted results for this lab are very robust, even though there are different theories that explain this effect, so I am not sure why mine was different.
● Were you able to understand what was being said in the irrelevant speech? Do you think it matters or not to the effect? How does this effect apply to daily-life situations?
I was not able to understand what was being said in the irrelevant speech, but do not think this would matter. Having my phonological loop interrupted, whether by words I understood or not, would cause articulatory suppression and interfere with my ability to rehearse, therefore interfering with my ability to retain and recall (Goldstein, 2019).
This is very relevant to daily life as we are often bombarded with stimuli while trying to multi-task. For example, I have experienced this effect while reading directions for a dinner recipe, which my brain is trying to translate into a phonological code (MindTap, 2014). Simultaneously, one of my children are talking/singing/making random noises in the background. Even though I am trying to focus on and pay attention to the visual stimuli, the auditory stimuli are interfering. The process of my working memory is then interrupted, leading me to “forget” what step I just read, and having to look at it again.
Rotation Angle Same Different
0 3290.400 4295.800
20 4697.800 3900.200
40 4101.600 3762.000
60 2398.800 2903.200
80 3584.800 3168.600
100 3579.600 4404.600
120 4081.800 3674.800
● How does the pattern of your individual data relate to the pattern of results predicted?
I appear to be an anomaly because my results are very different than those predicted. For the “same” trials, my graph is erratic, nothing near a straight line, as predicted. In the “different” trials, they predict RT will increase with number of rotations, but my results did not follow this. Instead, it is erratic with no pattern, and the longest RT being for the smallest rotation, 20 degrees. I have always struggled with mental imagery, but think I was really overthinking each item, especially when they looked almost identical, as in the 20 degree rotation, making those trials the longest.
● How important do you think this capacity is for daily life? What profession or field of work do you think benefits from training in mental rotation?
I do think this is very helpful in life, but I seem to manage without it. Having the cognitive ability to accurately use mental imagery can help in daily living and in numerous professions. Designers, engineers, architects, artists, scientists, and surgeons are among some of the jobs where this is not only beneficial, but necessary. For these occupations, people often have to plan ahead, anticipate obstacles, envision solutions, and think abstractly. This mental visualization can make the difference between success and failure, which in the case of a surgeon, can mean life or death.
● These labs have shown the true capacity in terms of duration and number of items of our short-term/working memory. They also show the top-down and effortful quality of this memory. Seeing how your mind is capable of transforming and processing information to a certain extent, how would you apply the findings collected here to help someone memorize better?
Even though we feel like our memory is a Systems 1 process, working effortlessly, there are ways we can all learn to improve our memory, which this lab has shown me I am in need of. One way to do this is really about attention, not memory. If we are not focused on the stimulus, or allow other stimuli to interfere with our attention, we are diminishing the short-term and working memory process necessary to retain information (Goldstein, 2019).
People can also use control processes to enhance memorization. If we make efforts to organize, make associations, apply context, and use elaborative rehearsal, we are more likely to remember information (Cherry, 2023). For example, chunking increases the capacity of our working memory, enabling us to remember more information (Goldstein, 2019). Additionally, because our phonological loop is vital to processing information in our working memory and to using rehearsal, I would make sure auditory stimuli are limited to the necessary task, so there is no interference with this process.
References –
Cherry , K. (2023, April 23). How to Improve Memory Based on Research. Verywell Mind; Dotdash Meredith. https://www.verywellmind.com/great-ways-to-improve-your-memory-2795356#:~:text=Fortunately%2C%20there%20are%20plenty%20of%20things
MindTap - Cengage Learning. (2014). Ng.cengage.com; Cengage Learning. https://ng.cengage.com/static/nb/ui/evo/index.html?deploymentId=5868562500252548489124156979&eISBN=9781337408301&id=2075336089&snapshotId=3952969&
Practical Psychology. (2020, January 9). Levels of Processing Theory. Practical Psychology; Practical Psychology. https://practicalpie.com/levels-of-processing-theory/