Cognitive area (grant)

Question 1

context dependant memory

Answer 1

Memory is improved if the environment that the learning takes place in is the same as the environment where memory is recalled

Question 2

recall memory

Answer 2

when you have to remember information with no prompts to remind you.

Question 3

recognition memory

Answer 3

Another way you can remember things is to recognise them from a list

Question 4

background

Answer 4

Grant et al predict that context dependent memory will benefit recall but not recognition tasks because the recognition items act as such strong retrieval cues that they “outshine” environmental cues.

Question 5

aim

Answer 5

investigate context-dependent memory effects on both recall and recognition for meaningful information (as opposed to just lists of words)

Question 6

sample

Answer 6

8 psychology students from Iowa State University acted as experimenters in the study. They each recruited 5 acquaintances as participants in the study.

One participant’s results were not included in the final analysis leaving a final sample of 39 participants who ranged in age from 17 to 56 years (mean age = 23.4), 17 females and 23 males.

Question 7

procedure

Answer 7

Participants were asked to read once through a two-page academic article on the subject of psychoimmunology while wearing a pair of headphones. Half of the participants did this while listening to background noise taken from the university cafeteria and the other half completed the task in silence.

They then completed 10 recall questions and 16 multiple choice questions on what they had read. They again did this while wearing headphones with half the participants in each study group doing the tests in silence and the other half while listening to background noise.

Question 8

results recall test

Answer 8

silent study silent test - 6.7
silent study noisy test- 4.6
noisy study silent test- 5.4
noisy study noisy test- 6.2

Question 9

results recognition test

Answer 9

silent study silent test- 14.3
silent study noisy test- 12.7
noisy study silent test- 12.7
noisy study noisy test- 14.3

Question 10

conclusions

Answer 10

supports the idea that context-dependent memory is found for meaningful information (rather than just when learning unrelated lists of words).