Cognitive Practical

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To conduct a lab experiment to study how having a schema (a title prompt or not) will affect people’s recall of words (scored on a coding scheme).

Question 2

Method

Answer 2

This study was independent measures with participants taking part in one condition or the other.

They were given a 16 line piece of text which was worded vaguely but about doing laundry. One group had a sheet entitled ‘doing laundry’ whereas the other had no title.

They were given 3 minutes to read the test and then 5m to write out the text as close to the original as possible.

Their answer was scored on a standardised scoring scheme with one mark for the jist of each sentence and extra points available for key words and phrases in each sentence.

All results were kept confidential and participants were both debriefed and given the right to withdraw at any point.

They were then debriefed and told the true purpose of the experiment.

The data was then analysed (see next slide, it can count in procedure but might be uts own question too)

Question 3

Results

Answer 3

The title group scored higher. (mean 40 vs 32) This difference between the groups was tested using Mann-Whitney U.

This found the results to be Significant P<0.05 which an observed value of 37 and a critical value of 42.

Ppt with a title prompt remembered significantly more of the paragraph that those without.

Question 4

+standardised

Answer 4

Controlled and reliable e.g. standardised words and timing

Question 5

+independant measures

Answer 5

little chance of order effects and demand characteristics

Question 6

-opportunity sampling

Answer 6

Opportunity sampling so not generalizable

Question 7

-independant measures

Answer 7

May introduce participant variables/difference

Question 8

-bias

Answer 8

Others could have suggested other measurements/coding of what got points

Question 9

-task

Answer 9

Low in mundane realism

Question 10

+ethics

Answer 10

Informed consent, withdrawal etc

Question 11

-validity

Answer 11

Low mundane realism because this is an unrealistic and unusual task (recalling ambiguous text)

Question 12

-sample

Answer 12

Small sample

Similar characteristics

Question 13

Conc

Answer 13

The use of a title to prompt a schema is beneficial in aiding recall of reconstructive memory (they scored a higher mean no. Of words/sentences recalled). They were able to recall more words and the results were significant.

Question 14

Data analysis

Answer 14

Their answers scored on a standardised scoring scheme with one mark for the list of each sentence and extra points available for key words and phrases in each sentence decided deforehand.

A mean was calculated for each of the two groups.

A Mann-Whitney U analysis was conducted to test the data for significance.

Question 15

Sample

Answer 15

Opportunity sampling gathering 27 people from A-level college library, aged between 16 and 19 (15 in one group and 12 in another)

Question 16

Hypothesis

Answer 16

Alternative: ppts with a title prompt will recall a higher number of correct words/ more sentences (max score of 55) from a paragraph compared to ppt without a title prompt.

Null: there will be no difference between amount of words/sentences (max sore of 55) recalled by ppt who have a title prompt or no title prompt. Any difference is due to chance.

IV: schema-whether you have a title prompt or no title prompt

DV: number of correct words recalled from a paragraph