we providing you the experiment to practice on others. In
the following demonstration, look at the list of words below for two minutes.
Memorize as many words as you can in this amount of time. Next, turn off your
computer monitor and get out a sheet of paper. Give yourself two minutes to
write down as many words from the list as you can.
Nine
|
Swap
|
Cell
|
Ring
|
Lust
|
Plugs
|
Lamp
|
Apple
|
Table
|
Sway
|
Army
|
Bank
|
Fire
|
Hold
|
Worm
|
Clock
|
Horse
|
Color
|
Baby
|
Sword
|
Desk
|
Hold
|
Find
|
Bird
|
Rock
|
How
many words did you get correct? Despite having two minutes to memorize the
words, you may find it surprisingly difficult to later recall even a handful of
the words. This experiment demonstrates some of the limitations of short-term
memory. According to researcher George A. Miller, the typical storage capacity
for short-term memory is seven plus or minus two items. However, memory
rehearsal strategies such as chunking can significantly increase memorization
and recall.
For
example, observe the following words:
Horse
|
Cat
|
Dog
|
Fish
|
Bird
|
Orange
|
Yellow
|
Blue
|
Green
|
Black
|
Table
|
Chair
|
Desk
|
Bookcase
|
Bed
|
Teacher
|
School
|
Student
|
Homework
|
Class
|
Apple
|
Banana
|
Kiwi
|
Grape
|
Mango
|
Because
these items can be easily chunked based on category, you can probably remember
far more of these words.
Key Terms
Before
you begin your experiment, there are some key terms and concepts you should
understand.
·
Memory
·
Short-term
memory
·
Chunking
Key Questions for Background Research
·
On average, how many words can a
person remember?
·
Can other factors such as gender and
age have an impact on memory?
·
Do people tend to remember certain
words more than others?
Performing Your Own Word Memorization Experiment
There
are a number of different approaches you could take in conducting your own word
memorization experiment. The following are just a few ideas you might explore:
·
Compare random
words versus related words. Create
two groups of words: one group that is completely random and another that has
groups of related words. Ask participants to first complete one trial with the
random words, and then complete another trial with the related words. Compare
the results of your two trials.
·
Compare results
between male and female participants. Have
a group of participants perform the memorization activity, and then compare how
many the male participants remembered on average to how many the female
participants remembered.
·
Try the
experiment with gender-associated terms versus gender-neutral terms. For example, create a list of terms related to objects
or concepts commonly associated with women. Then create a list of terms not
associated with either gender. Administer both tests to a group of participants
and compare the results between the men and women. Did women find it easier to
remember the gender-associated terms? Did men find it more difficult? Or were
the results insignificant?
You can find more tips and advice in this article on how to conduct apsychology experiment
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