Contemporary study three Grant et al (Cognitive area)

Question 1

Background of Gant el al

Answer 1

Context-dependent memory is the idea we are able to recall information best of we return to the same context in which the information was learned in the first place. It is suggested that when a memory is first formed, features of the environment are encoded with it.

Godden and Baddeley (1975) studied
the effects of context-dependent
memory using deep sea divers. Some of
the divers learned the words
underwater and others learned the list
of words on land. Then half of each
group were tested on land and the
other half under water. When the
environment matched, the divers
recalled more words than when they
did not match.

However, Smith suggested that although recall can be enhanced by being back in the same contest in which something was first learned, the way this is tested is important. In particular, if is tested through multiple choice questions, then a any cues from being back in the familiar environment will be ‘outshone’ by the information contained within the options a person is given to choose from.

Question 2

Aim of Grant el al study

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Sample of Grant el al study

Answer 3

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 4

Procedure of Grant el al study

Answer 4

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 still wearing headphones.

Then they had a two minute break

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 (reading the article in noise or silence) doing the tests in silence and the other half while listening to background noise.

Question 5

Results from recall test of the Grant et al study

Answer 5

Results – mean number of correct answers in the recall test
Silent study and Silent test conditions-6.7
Noisy test and Silent Study conditions-4.6
Silent test and Noisy Study conditions-5.4
Noisy test and Noisy Study conditions-6.2

Question 6

Results from Recognition test

Answer 6

Silent study and Silent test conditions-14.3
Noisy test and Silent Study conditions-12.7
Silent test and Noisy Study conditions-12.7
Noisy test and Noisy Study conditions-14.3

Question 7

Conclusions of Grant study

Answer 7

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

Both recall and recognition of information is better when the context matches – participants recalled significantly more information about the article when the study and test conditions matched (silent-silent or noisy-noisy) than when they did not match (silent-noisy or noisy-silent)

Question 8

Sampling technique of the study

Answer 8

Opportunity sampling

Question 9

Experimental design

Answer 9

Independent measures design

Question 10

How does Grant link to Useful debate

Answer 10

Supports the idea that context-dependent
memory is found for meaningful information (rather than just when learning unrelated lists of words). Both recall and recognition of information is better when the context matches – participants
recalled significantly more information about the article when the study and test conditions matched (silent-silent or noisy-noisy) than when they did not match (silent-noisy or noisy-silent)

Question 11

How does Grant link to individual-situational explanations

Answer 11

Supports the idea that context-dependent
memory is found for meaningful information (rather than just when learning unrelated lists of words). Both recall and recognition of information is
better when the context matches – participants recalled significantly more information about the article when the study and test conditions matched (silent-silent or noisy-noisy) than when
they did not match (silent-noisy or noisy-silent)

Question 12

How can Grant been seen as reductionist

Answer 12

The study could be seen as reductionist as it is only looking at one factor that could effect test sources which was the conditions the studying and were tested in match-context dependency. The only factor that they looked at effecting memory was context dependency.

Question 13

How does Grant link to freewill-determinism debate

Answer 13

This study supports the freewill side of the debate that we can choose the conditions we revise in and that can help our exam sources. However, we cannot control the conditions that the tests are in, which is environmental determinism.

Question 14

How does Grant link to the cognitive area

Answer 14

Supports the idea that context-dependent
memory is found for meaningful information (rather than just when learning unrelated lists of words). Both recall and recognition of information is better when the context matches – participants
recalled significantly more information about the article when the study and test conditions matched (silent-silent or noisy-noisy) than when they did not match (silent-noisy or noisy-silent)

Question 15

How does Grant link to the key theme of memory

Answer 15

Supports the idea that context-dependent
memory is found for meaningful information (rather than just when learning unrelated lists of words). Both recall and recognition of information is
better when the context matches – participants recalled significantly more information about the article when the study and test conditions matched (silent-silent or noisy-noisy) than when
they did not match (silent-noisy or noisy-silent)

Question 16

Two similarities between Grant and Loftus and Palmer

Answer 16

One similaritie is that they both use independent measure design. For example in Loftus and Plamer participants only in once condition as they only had one critcal verb. For example in Grant particpants only in one of the four conditions for example silent and silent.

Another similarty between the studies is that they both support the reductionist side of the reductionist-holism debate. For example in Loftus they only investagted the factor that the verb used effects memory (langauge). In Grant it only looks at the factor of the situtaion you revise is the factors that effect memory.

Question 17

Explain the difference between Loftus and Palmer and Grant

Answer 17

One differencre between the two studies is they are looking at different aspects of memory. For example in Loftus and Palmer study it investage reconstrective memory The way in which our biases and prejudices
can unconsciously lead us to have memories of events that are distortions of what actually happened. For example in Grants study context dependecy is the conditions that effects memory.

Another differencre between the two studies is Grant has better ecological vadilidty than Loftus and Palmer study. For example in Lotfus and Palmer does not reflect real as you are not pereapred to see a car crash. In contrast Grant reflects real life as you study by reading something and being tested on it.

Question 18

How has Grant effected our key theme of memory

Answer 18

It has changed our understanding of memory as we know context depenedecy is true for reciol and recogointion by investagting a different aspect of memory it adds to our understanding, where we expereiencre somethimg has an impact.

It has not changed our understanding as it is very westren and no mention of personality do so people benfit from lestinting to music as they overthink to much

Question 19

How has it not changed our understanding social cultural and diversity

Answer 19

Indivduial- no information on personality and if one group will benfit
Soical- both students a similar types of group with a different gender
Cultural- Both westren cultures and eductional systems so very similar and other system might benifit differently