Andrade et. al. (2010) (Doodling) Flashcards
What was the aim of Andrade’s study?
To determine whether doodling aids information processing by increasing attention or enhancing memory.
How does research suggest attention and doodling are related?
Research suggests that doodling might aid concentration by maintaining arousal while thinking.
What research method was used in the study?
A laboratory experiment.
What research design was implemented?
An independent measures design.
How were participants selected?
Opportunity sampling from the Medical Research Council’s Applied Psychology Unit.
What was the sample size and composition?
40 participants aged 18-55, mostly women, divided into two groups of 20.
What task did participants complete?
They listened to a dull 2.5-minute telephone call about a party.
What were the independent and dependent variables?
The independent variable was whether participants doodled or not; the dependent variable was recall performance.
What were participants told about the recall task?
They were informed they would be tested on partygoers’ names but not on place names (a surprise task).
How was the dependent variable operationalized?
Correctly recalled names were counted; plausible mishearings were accepted, and false alarms were deducted.
What were the key findings for the monitoring task?
Doodling participants recalled 7.8 names on average, while control participants recalled 7.1 names.
What were the overall recall results?
Doodlers recalled 7.5 names and places, 29% more than the control group’s 5.8.
What were the two possible explanations for improved recall in doodlers?
Doodling either enhanced attention or improved memory processing.
Why is it difficult to distinguish between these explanations?
The study did not measure daydreaming, which could explain differences in attention.
What are the strengths of the study?
Controlled extraneous variables, standardized procedures, operationalized doodling, and collected objective quantitative data.
What are the weaknesses of the study?
Lack of self-reports on daydreaming, potential sample bias, and gender imbalance.
What ethical concerns were present?
Participants were not fully informed about the surprise recall task, but they were debriefed.
How can the study be applied to real life?
Doodling may help focus during lectures but deliberate drawing might be counterproductive.
What does the study suggest about individual vs. situational explanations?
Doodling had a situational effect on recall, but individual differences in doodling behavior also played a role.
