An experiment to test the existence of the rehearsal loop using interference with numbers.

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Contents

Title

Introduction

Rationale

Aim

Hypotheses

Design

Independent Variable

Dependent Variable

Sampling and Participants

Apparatus

Procedure

Summary table and commentary

Conclusion

Bar Chart

Implications of Study

Generalisation of findings

Validity

Reliability

Application of study to everyday life

References

Appendices

Title

An experiment to test the existence of the rehearsal loop using interference with numbers.

Introduction

       This study is based on the area of cognitive psychology, in particular, theories of memory. William James (1890) argued that one must distinguish between two types of memory – primary and secondary. We now refer to these as short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM) respectively. This leads onto the Atkinson and Shiffrin model of memory which was one of the earliest information processing models to be based on James’s distinction.

        Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968,71) claimed that memory consisted of three memory stores which were the sensory store, the short-term store and long-term storm. A stimulus received by our senses (such as reading words) passes through the stores in that order with some information being lost en route. Any new information retained will always pass through in this way. According to the Atkinson and Shiffrin model, whether or not information passes into the LTM from STM depends on whether it is rehearsed. If you want to remember something, you repeat it several times in your head therefore increasing the likelihood that it will be transferred into LTM. The main emphasis on this multi-store model of memory is on structure rather than process – concentration is on the way in which our memory is structured, not how it is processed.

       The well-known technique for testing the existence of the rehearsal loop is the Brown-Peterson technique. Brown (1958) and Peterson and Peterson (1959) developed the idea of blocking rehearsal by such tasks as counting backwards. These were two separate groups of researchers, so the technique was jointly named after them. Participants learned trigrams such as BHK. Once they had been given the trigrams, however, rehearsal was blocked by making them count backwards in threes, for example 60,57,54 etc. The number of trigrams the participant could recall was recorded. Participants forgot a great deal of the information after only 9 seconds and almost all of it by 18 seconds. It was concluded that information stayed in STM (without rehearsal) for a maximum of 18 seconds.

       

Rationale

       The present study is based upon the Atkinson and Shiffrin multi-store model of memory and will be used to test whether a rehearsal loop actually exists. The model claims that there is a rehearsal loop between STM and LTM and that in order for information to pass to LTM it must be rehearsed. I will test this by making the participant count backwards in threes during rehearsal (therefore interfering with it) and seeing if this does affect memory recall. This method is a replica of the Brown-Peterson technique – it is one of the most prominent experiments involved with testing the existence of the rehearsal loop.

       I am also hoping to either increase or decrease the evidence of the Atkinson and Shiffrin multi-store model of memory through my results. A model is only as good as experimental evidence shows it to be – I have to try and prove this. Also this experiment has useful applications to everyday life, especially for students studying for exams who might face interference during their learning. By performing the experiment, I hope to highlight this fact.

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Aim

       To test whether interfering with rehearsal by making the participant count backwards in groups of three actually affects the number of trigrams recalled, therefore supporting the existence of a rehearsal loop.

Experimental Hypothesis

       There will be a meaningful difference in the amount of trigrams recalled between those participants who are given time to rehearse them and those who have to count backwards in threes during rehearsal.

Null Hypothesis

       There will be no difference in the number of trigrams recalled by the two groups of ...

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