POSTER SAC: DISCUSSION Flashcards
DISCUSSION PART 1
The aim of the experiment was to investigate if words presented on either a red or blue background effects memory recall in students from Ivanhoe Grammar School. The results of the current study appear to reject the hypothesis that students would recall more words presented on a red background than participants who recall words presented on a blue background. The results from figure 1 show that participants from both classes recalled a higher average number of words that were presented on a blue background as opposed to words that were presented on a red background. Hence, the results are inconsistent with previous research conducted by Mehta and Zhu (2009). The aim of the previous experiment was to investigate the effect of red and blue on cognitive tasks. Mehta and Zhu conducted their research by asking their participants to recall 36 words that were previously presented on a computer screen. In each condition, the experimenters collected data based on the number of words correctly recalled by participants (either on a red, blue or neutral computer screen background). After a delay of twenty minutes, participants were able to remember more words that were presented on a red background than words that were presented on a blue or neutral background.
DISCUSSION PART 2
- Conversely, the participants from the current study were asked to memorize 20 familiar words from a PowerPoint slide that randomly presented words on red and blue backgrounds. The participants were given 5 minutes to recall as many words they can remember. The students who participated in the current study (in each class) were tested as a group after the final word was presented on the PowerPoint slide (immediate recall). On the other hand, in the previous research, the participants were individually tested on a computer screen after a 20-minute delay (without interruptions). This 20-minute delay has potentially strengthened the consolidation of memory and therefore, enhanced memory retrieval as opposed to immediate recall that was performed in the current study. Furthermore, this suggests that these different time allocations and the different equipment used to present the words may be the result of inconsistent findings in the current experiment. In preparation, the student researchers conducted the current experiment on the same day but at different times and locations.
DISCUSSION PART 3
- Even though each participant was experimented on the same day, their own independent routines and habits might have affected their ability to assimilate the list of 20 words. In addition, the results from Class A was collected in the morning while the raw data from Class B was collected in the late evening. Therefore, each participants’ fatigue and motivation levels could have impacted the results and how well they were able to memorize and recall words on either a red or blue background. In the current study, the experimenters selected participants who were readily available on the 16th of May 2018. Using convenience sampling, the experimenters were able to attain initial primary data in a much shorter time frame. Since the sample size was only between 30-32 Year 12 students, the sample was not representative of the population of interest which was all students from Ivanhoe Grammar School. Therefore, the current experiment had low external validity because it did not generalize the larger population. However, the results from both classes conclude that words presented on a blue background increased memory retention.
DISCUSSION PART 4
- Thus, the experiment had high internal validity in the relationship between the coloured background and memory performance. Additionally, another researcher is able to reproduce the experiment under the same conditions with a different group of participants. They would obtain experimental data that is precise but inaccurate. Since the current experiment was tested on Year 12 students who were readily available on May the 16th, the study cannot be repeated on the same participants under the same conditions. The results from the experiment suggest that words presented on a blue background enhances memory performance. This can benefit the population of interest as it provides Ivanhoe Grammar school students with an insight as to how to develop new effective strategies in order to learn, adapt and remember important information.
