CO2 - Cognitive Area

Question 1

What are the key assumptions of the cognitive area?

Answer 1

It looks at processes in the brain

The brain acts like a computer: input, process and response

Question 2

What is the aim theme within the cognitive area?

Answer 2

Memory

Question 3

What are the strengths of the cognitive area?

Answer 3

1. has a large range of practical applications
2. Favours the scientific method. Allows reserachers to establish cause and effect
3. Emphasis on controlled study make it easier to test reliability. Therefore greater credibility.

Question 4

What are the weaknesses of the cognitive area?

Answer 4

1. may lack ecological validity
2. There are limitations in which data is gathered
3. lab experiments chance of participants responding to demand characteristics

Question 5

State 3 similarities between Loftus and Palmer and Milgram

Answer 5

1. Both experiments focus on memory using independent measures design
2. Both use student samples
3. Both use material relevant to real life

Question 6

State 2 differences between Loftus and Palmer and Milgram

Answer 6

1. Grant looked at how memory could be enhanced. While Loftus investigates disrupting effect information recieved after an event

Question 7

What is the aim of Loftus and Palmer?

Answer 7

To see if questions asked after an event can cause a reconstruction of your memory of the event. To find out if leading questions just prompt a response bias

Question 8

What is the hypothesis of Loftus and Palmer?

Answer 8

Participants will falsely remember broken glass in the video clip after a week if a stronger very is used

Question 9

What is the IV in Loftus and Palmer?

Answer 9

Experiment 1: verb used

Experiment 2: Leading question

Question 10

What was the DV in Loftus and Palmer?

Answer 10

Experiment 1: speed estimate

Experiment 2: answer to question about the glass

Question 11

What sample was used

Answer 11

Experiment 1: 45 american students divided into groups of 5

Experiment 2: 150 students

Question 12

Briefly outline Experiment 1 in Loftus and Palmer

Answer 12

All 5 groups were show clips of a car crash. They were asked about the videos. One question asked for speed estimate either using (smashed, collided, bumped, hit and contacted)

Question 13

Briefly outline Experiment 2 in Loftus and Palmer

Answer 13

Participants were shown video of car crash. 3 groups (smashed, hit and last group not asked about speed). A week later they were asked a leading questions about glass (there was no smashed glass)

Question 14

Briefly outline the results from Experiment 1 in Loftus and Palmer

Answer 14

The more violent the verb the higher the speed estimate

Question 15

Briefly outline the results from Experiment 2 in Loftus and Palmer

Answer 15

Smashed (yes:16 / no:34)
Hit (yes:7 / no:43)
Control (yes:7 / no:44)

Question 16

Outline a conclusion from experiment 1 and 2 in Loftus and Palmer

Answer 16

1: The wording causes actual distortion in the participants memory
2: Leading questions change memory

Question 17

State three strengths of Loftus and Palmer

Answer 17

• Highly controlled lab experiment
• Independent measures design
• Quantitative data

Question 18

State three weaknesses of Loftus and Palmer

Answer 18

• Sample of students
• Low ecological validity
• Ethnocentric

Question 19

What were the ethical issues broken in Loftus and Palmer?

Answer 19

Some deception

Not fully gained informed consent

Question 20

What was the aim of Grant et als study?

Answer 20

To test for context dependent effects caused by the presence or absence of noise during learning and retrieval of meaningful material

Question 21

What were the IVs in Grant?

Answer 21

Reading condition

Testing condition

Question 22

What were the DVs in Grant?

Answer 22

Reading time
Performance in multiple choice
Performance in short answer test

Question 23

What was Grants sample?

Answer 23

39 participants

Mixed genders

Question 24

Briefly outline Grants Method

Answer 24

Each participant only took part in one condition
Participants were asked to read a passage. They then completed 2 tests (short answer and multiple choice) in the different conditions

Question 25

State some results from Grant et als study

Answer 25

Recall:
Best was SS (6.7)
Worst SN (4.6)

Question 26

State a conclusion from Grant et als study

Answer 26

• Students perform to their maximum when they study and do a test in silence
• Study and testing in the same environment leads to enhanced performance

Question 27

Outline 3 strengths of Grant et als study

Answer 27

1. high level of control and methodology
2. Significant results
3. All participants wore headphones (higher ecological validity)

Question 28

Outline 2 weaknesses of Grant et als study

Answer 28

1. small sample

2. some people are better at tests