Contempary: Sebastian & Hernandez-Gil 2012 Flashcards
Sample
570 volunteers from Madrid schools aged 5-17
No hearing/reading/writing difficulties
What type of sample
Volunteer
Aim(s)
Investigate the development of the phonological loop in children aged 5-17 by using digit span, and to compare the findings to previous research of adult, aged and dementia patients
Digit span
Refers to memory span and coaching of STM without rehearsal (how many numbers your recall)
IV
Age of participants
DV
Digit Span
What were the 5 age groups/cohorts
5
6-8
9-11
12
14
15-17
Procedure
A group and the average day for each age and each age group
Tested individually, participants were read increasing sequences of digits to recall in the correct order
They were red at one per second and the digit list increase one digit per sequence
The digit span was recorded as the maximum digit recalled in the correct order without error
What was the procedure?
Standardised
What does a standardised procedure mean
Study is replicable
Explain how the study has a high level of population validity
Size of sample was large - 570 children
What is a high level of population validity mean?
High generalisability
Are the results capable of being generalised to wider population
Yes
What were the good controls in the experiment
Stimulus shown
Time of day
Procedure
What does the good controls give the study
High interval validity
What does high internal validity mean for the study
It can be replicated
Similar results can be shown
What can the study being held in the school create
Extraneous variables
How does extraneous variables effect the study
Decrease reliability
How can the results be applied to a wider population
Tracking of digit span across ages which gives an idea of what age learning becomes easier
To what scenario can the study being applied to
Give aid to primary schools and students are educated
2 weaknesses regarding validity
Artificial test
Not a good representative of how STM works in every day life
How is the study ecologically valid
Set in a school which means if is a field experiment
How does the study make participant appear as vulnerable
Target groups were those under 16 or people with dementia/ Alzheimer’s
Issues for consent
Not proper informed consent from participants
Who had lowest age span of 3.76
5 years
Who had digit span of 4.34
6-8 years
9 year olds had an increase from ? To ? digits in their span
4 to 5
What age had a digit span of 5.13
11 years
What was the digit span of 17 year olds
5.91
What was the general correction of digit span with age
As digit span increases, age increases
What age does digit span rise steadily until
11
What happens to digit span after 11 year olds
It slows
What conclusion was found when looking at older people and those with dementia
Significance between healthy older people and those with dementia
Age affects digit span not dementia
What did they study in 2010 with elderly participants find
Elderly participants had a higher digit span than the 5 year olds in this study
What patients showed mean digit span of 4.20
Alzheimer’s dementia
What type of patients had a digit span of 4.22
Those with fronto-temporal dementia
What digit span did the control group of healthy older people have
4.44
What does the healthy older people’s digit span show
Higher digit span than 5 and 6 year olds
Did not differ from other groups like dementia and Alzheimer’s
