Cognitive Experiment 04: All Purpose Memory

Introduction:
This experiment aims to explore many theories on memory based on Cognitive Perspective. The words are told to the group, 1 seconds between each word, and the participants are to write them down as much as possible after all the words are told.

Data Collection:

Bed: 10
Quilt: 7
Dark: 7
Sleep*: 3
Silence: 4
Fatigue: 9
Clock: 6
Snoring: 3
Night: 10
Toss: 6
Tired: 9
Artichoke: 5
Turn: 3
Rest: 4
Dream: 6

Data Analysis:
1. Serial Position Effect: Though it is not so clear, there is an evidence of the serial position effect in this experiment, which is the first and last memories are recalled better than many of the middle one.
2. Semantic Distinctiveness: Since artichoke is a word that does not associate with bedroom and nighttime, the word is recalled better for some people.
3. Rehearsal: The word night is repeated three times, enhancing recall of the word.
4. Memory reconstruction: The word sleep is not in the experiment. The fact that some people claimed they recalled this word is because their memory associate the word to the topic, therefore leading to the thought that the word sleep, too, is mentioned.
5. Chucking: Though it is not clear for this experiment due to that we are not a native speaker of English, chucking can happens with the word "Toss and Turn."

Conclusion:
The experiment is successful in demonstrating the theories about memory according to the cognitive perspective. Though it may not be so clear due to that the group is only of 10 people, the experiment explains all the theories said above.

Cognitive Experiment 04: All Purpose Memory

Introduction:
This experiment aims to explore many theories on memory based on Cognitive Perspective. The words are told to the group, 1 seconds between each word, and the participants are to write them down as much as possible after all the words are told.

Data Collection:

10 | |
9 | | | |
8 | | | |
7 | | | | | |
6 | | | | | | | | |
5 | | | | | | | | | |
4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
0 ----------------------------------------------
B Q D S S F C S N T T A T R D
E U A L I A L N I O I R U E R
D I R E L T O O G S R T R S E
L K E E I C R H S E I N T A
T P N G K I T D C M
C U N H
E E G O
K
E

Data Analysis:
1. Serial Position Effect: Though it is not so clear, there is an evidence of the serial position effect in this experiment, which is the first and last memories are recalled better than many of the middle one.
2. Semantic Distinctiveness: Since artichoke is a word that does not associate with bedroom and nighttime, the word is recalled better for some people.
3. Rehearsal: The word night is repeated three times, enhancing recall of the word.
4. Memory reconstruction: The word sleep is not in the experiment. The fact that some people claimed they recalled this word is because their memory associate the word to the topic, therefore leading to the thought that the word sleep, too, is mentioned.
5. Chucking: Though it is not clear for this experiment due to that we are not a native speaker of English, chucking can happens with the word "Toss and Turn."

Conclusion:
The experiment is successful in demonstrating the theories about memory according to the cognitive perspective. Though it may not be so clear due to that the group is only of 10 people, the experiment explains all the theories said above.

Cognitive Experiment 03: Meaning Enhances Recall

Introduction:
This experiment aims to study how meaning of the words may enhance the ability for a person to recall the word. By presenting 20 words to the participants, the participants have to memorize as many words as possible. Given that the letter A and B written in the corner of the piece of paper the words are presented on, The rule is directed to the participant, stating that if the letter A is presented, the participant need to count the syllable of the words and if the letter B is present, the participant need to categorize the words as either pleasant or unpleasant. Then the participants are given 3 minutes to write down all the words they remembered Through this, the data is collected and accumulated into the result of how meaning can enhance recalls.

Data Collection:
Total Score: 20
Lowest Total Score: 6
Highest Total Score: 19
Average A words memorized: 5.09
Average B words memorized: 7.09
Average words in total memorized: 12.27
Number of participants memorizing A=B: 2
Number of participants memorizing A > B: 1
Number of participants memorizing A < B: 8

Conclusion:
According to the result, people tends to recall better when the words are associated with some meaning, rather than only just counting the syllable. The results then successfully portrays that meaning do enhance human's ability to recall a certain things. Though, errors associated with this experiment may include other factors, such as breaking the rules. Also, how many words a person can memorized may varies due to process and environmental factors, such as mnemonic.

Cognitive Experiment 01: First Memory

Introduction

This experiment is conducted to see the ratio and average on the first memory a person may have. We are to think of what is the first memory we can remember and when is it happen. By having everyone says about their memories, the data is collected and analyzed into finding the average estimated age the first memories occur and the ratio between positive and negative memories.

Aim

To gather up information on the first memory each person has and see for average age in which the first memory is in and the ratio between good and bad memory.

First memory

I was playing in the small water tub in the garage when I was around 3-4 years old.

Data Collected

Average age as a class in which the first memories occurs = 3-4 years old

Ratio between positive and negative memories = 7:5

Conclusion and Evaluation

Memories are affected by emotional elements a person has in that certain moment. According to the theory on memory, a person is incapable of remembering the event before the age of five, which leads to the conclusion is that this experiment is not valid. One factor that affected this experiment is the malleability of the memories. People tend to remember things from photograph or story told by parents rather than remembering thing that really happens. That means some of the memories might not even exist, but a make up story by the parents. For me, since I heard of something called as childhood amnesia before, don’t know where I heard about it, which stated that people are capable of remembering only from 5 years old on, I also felt that the age is not correct, somehow. Either I recalled the wrong age or I saw it from the photograph that I remembered it, but I always have it cleared that something is wrong with this first memory.