CO2 - Cognitive Area Flashcards
What are the key assumptions of the cognitive area?
It looks at processes in the brain
The brain acts like a computer: input, process and response
What is the aim theme within the cognitive area?
Memory
What are the strengths of the cognitive area?
- has a large range of practical applications
- Favours the scientific method. Allows reserachers to establish cause and effect
- Emphasis on controlled study make it easier to test reliability. Therefore greater credibility.
What are the weaknesses of the cognitive area?
- may lack ecological validity
- There are limitations in which data is gathered
- lab experiments chance of participants responding to demand characteristics
State 3 similarities between Loftus and Palmer and Milgram
- Both experiments focus on memory using independent measures design
- Both use student samples
- Both use material relevant to real life
State 2 differences between Loftus and Palmer and Milgram
- Grant looked at how memory could be enhanced. While Loftus investigates disrupting effect information recieved after an event
What is the aim of Loftus and Palmer?
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
What is the hypothesis of Loftus and Palmer?
Participants will falsely remember broken glass in the video clip after a week if a stronger very is used
What is the IV in Loftus and Palmer?
Experiment 1: verb used
Experiment 2: Leading question
What was the DV in Loftus and Palmer?
Experiment 1: speed estimate
Experiment 2: answer to question about the glass
What sample was used
Experiment 1: 45 american students divided into groups of 5
Experiment 2: 150 students
Briefly outline Experiment 1 in Loftus and Palmer
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)
Briefly outline Experiment 2 in Loftus and Palmer
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)
Briefly outline the results from Experiment 1 in Loftus and Palmer
The more violent the verb the higher the speed estimate
Briefly outline the results from Experiment 2 in Loftus and Palmer
Smashed (yes:16 / no:34)
Hit (yes:7 / no:43)
Control (yes:7 / no:44)
Outline a conclusion from experiment 1 and 2 in Loftus and Palmer
1: The wording causes actual distortion in the participants memory
2: Leading questions change memory
State three strengths of Loftus and Palmer
- Highly controlled lab experiment
- Independent measures design
- Quantitative data
State three weaknesses of Loftus and Palmer
- Sample of students
- Low ecological validity
- Ethnocentric
What were the ethical issues broken in Loftus and Palmer?
Some deception
Not fully gained informed consent
What was the aim of Grant et als study?
To test for context dependent effects caused by the presence or absence of noise during learning and retrieval of meaningful material
What were the IVs in Grant?
Reading condition
Testing condition
What were the DVs in Grant?
Reading time
Performance in multiple choice
Performance in short answer test
What was Grants sample?
39 participants
Mixed genders
Briefly outline Grants Method
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
State some results from Grant et als study
Recall:
Best was SS (6.7)
Worst SN (4.6)
State a conclusion from Grant et als study
- 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
Outline 3 strengths of Grant et als study
- high level of control and methodology
- Significant results
- All participants wore headphones (higher ecological validity)
Outline 2 weaknesses of Grant et als study
- small sample
2. some people are better at tests
