Class Experiment

1
Class Experiment

• Psych 231 Research Methods in Psychology

2
Class experiment

• Today going to go over the design and procedures
  for the class experiment.
• Make sure that you downsload the experiment
  packet and bring to labs this week

3
Memory Demonstration

• Instructions (1/2 the class)
• Im going to read a list of words.
• Please listen to each word on the list. After
  each word Id like you to respond Yes or No
  whether the word has a letter a in it
• After Im done, please count backwards by threes
  from the number that I give you.
• Then Ill tell you to write down as many of the
  words as you can. Any questions?
• Read list
• 683

4
Recall

• Please recall as many of the items now (write
  them down).
• Check

car hammer fate happiness book
effort bird money hope knowledge
apple interest theory ocean pencil
moral microscope anger chance baby
5
The issues

• What variables might influence performance on a
  memory task like this?
• Well select two things
• Type of word - abstract or concrete
• Level of processing - how deeply the words are
  processed

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The issues

• What variables might influence performance on a
  memory task like this?
• Well select two things
• Type of word - abstract or concrete
• Level of processing - how deeply the words are
  processed

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Word type
car hammer fate happiness book
effort bird money hope knowledge
apple interest theory ocean pencil
moral microscope anger chance baby
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Word type

• Go ahead and count up how many abstract and how
  many concrete words you remembered.

car hammer fate happiness book
effort bird money hope knowledge
apple interest theory ocean pencil
moral microscope anger chance baby
Concrete words Abstract words
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The issues

• What variables might influence performance on a
  memory task like this?
• Well select two things
• Type of word - abstract or concrete
• Level of processing - how deeply the words are
  processed

10
Memory Demonstration

• Instructions (the other 1/2 of the class)
• Im going to read a list of words.
• Please LISTEN to each word on the list. After
  each
• word Id like you to respond Yes or No
  whether
• the word is something that you associate with
  your
• experience at Illinois State University
• After Im done, please count backwards by threes
  from the number that I give you.
• Then Ill tell you to write down as many of the
  words as you can.
• Read list
• 537

11
Recall

• Please recall as many of the items now (write
  them down).
• Check

car hammer fate happiness book
effort bird money hope knowledge
apple interest theory ocean pencil
moral microscope anger chance baby
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Levels of processing
Two levels of processing
Shallow Is there an a
Deep Related to ISU
BOOK
CAR
DESK
DRESSER
FLOWER
MAGAZINE
happiness
happiness
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The issues

• What are the issues that were looking at?
• What is the Dependent variable?
• Construct?
• Operationalized?
• What is/are the Independent variable(s)?
• Word type
• Op words rated as abstract or concrete
• Level of processing
• Op does word have an a in it?
• is the word related to ISU experience?

memory
accurate recall of words from list
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The design

• How many conditions do we have?
• What is the design of the study?
• 2 factors

Level of processing
ISU related
a in it


Abstract
Word type
Concrete

• What are your predictions?

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Class experiment

• I have put the materials together and posted them
  on the syllabus (click on class experiment)
• Your homework is to
• Download Exp packet
• Find two volunteers
• Collect some data
• Bring the data back to class on Monday
• I will compile and analyze the results
• Based on this experiment and these results you
  will produce an APA style research report

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Class experiment

• In the packet youll find
• Instructions
• To create the stimuli
• To read to your participants
• For compiling the data (data sheet provided)
• Two consent forms
• Debriefing sheet

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The Procedure

• Find 2 volunteers
• Test each participant (one-at-a-time, in one of
  the conditions)
• (Across your 2 volunteers, you should have tested
  all 4 conditions)
• Following presentation of the word list
• Have them count backwards by 3s for 15 sec.
• Ask them to recall as many of the words as they
  can (have them write them down)
• Shuffle the word order (the cards) before each
  participant
• Count up the number of correctly recalled
  abstract and concrete words and enter this
  information into the data summary sheet
• Bring the data back to class on Monday

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The design

• What do we need to control?
• Presentation rate
• Amount of time for recall
• Number of items on the list
• Actual items on the list
• Any other things we need to think about?
• Ethics
• Consent form, debriefing
• I have create these and they are part of the
  experiment packet that you download

1 second per item
90 seconds
20 items
Same concrete and abstract words
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The class paper

• Complete APA style research report
• Intro
• There are 3 required readings which you must
  include these in your introduction
• Kroll Merves (1986)
• Craik Tulving (1975)
• Groninger Groninger (1982)
• Additionally, you must find at least 1 additional
  article to include in your introduction
• Methods, Results, References, etc.
• Two drafts (see web pages for specific details)
• 1st due week 10
• Final due week 15