Title: Selfperception of memory skills: Cross cultural and age differences
1Self-perception of memory skills Cross cultural
and age differences
Leonard L. LaPointe Lorraine A. Book Stacey M.
Brenner Jessica L. Brown Vanessa E. Diaz Sarah A.
Ganas Emily R. Marturana David K. McCoy Jessica
G. Paulk Allison M. Plumb Karen L.
Yuhas Department of Communication
Disorders Florida State University NeuroLinguistic
-NeuroCognitive Research Center Tallahassee, FL
32306-1200
2Background 1.
- Metacognition knowledge and cognition about
cognitive matters Flavell (1971) - Metamemory the knowledge, values, attitudes,
thinking and analysis of human memory - Literature suggests
- Self-perception of memory skills varies across
clinical populations who have cognitive-linguistic
impairment - Anxiety about self-perceived memory skills
3Background 2.
- This study arose from discussions of
self-perception of memory skills in a graduate
course on cognitive-linguistic interactions at
Florida State University - Questions raised
- Does self-perception of memory differ in those
with mild cognitive impairment? - Does self-perception of memory vary across age?
- Does self-perception of memory skills vary across
professions, cultures, or degree of intoxication?
4Purposes
- To devise and assemble methods for measuring
self-perception of memory - To gather a relatively large data set on
self-perception of memory and attitudes about
personal memory skills in participants with no
history of memory difficulty - To determine if differences exist in
self-perceptions of memory relative to age and
culture in our sample
5The Measures
- Self-perception of memory and attitudes about
personal memory skills were determined by - A Global Rating of self-perceived memory skills
- Overall rating of your memory
- (Worst) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Best)
- Memory Questions
- Example How often do you miss appointments?
- Very Often Quite Often Occasionally Rarely
Never - 3. Semantic Differential (Quantification of
attitudes from paired associates) - Example How would you rate your memory?
- Weak 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Strong
6Instructions
- We are exploring what people think about their
own memory. Please answer the following questions
about your own memory or memory skills. - Overall Rating we would like you to choose a
number that characterizes your idea of your
overall memory or memory skills. Please circle a
number from 1 (worst) to 10 (best) - 2. Memory Questions Circle the appropriate
answer for each memory question - 3. Semantic Differential The Semantic
Differential is a method researchers have
developed for exploring attitudes about concepts,
words, or events. We are very interested in your
ideas about your own memory. Please think of your
own memory or your memory skills. How would you
rate your own memory or memory skills on the
following scale? - Consider each pair of opposite words. Circle the
number that you feel represents your opinion of
your own memory or memory skills. Complete all
items. - Thank you.
7Please circle the number that you think
characterizes your personal overall memory skills
- Overall Rating of Your Memory
- (Worst) (Best)
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 - You try it! Pick a number!
8Memory QuestionsCircle the appropriate number
for each question
- 1. How often do you forget appointments?
- Very Often Quite Often Occasionally
Rarely Never - 1 2 3 4 5
- 2. How often do you want to tell a joke but find
you cant remember it? - Very Often Quite Often Occasionally
Rarely Never - 1 2 3 4 5
- 3. How often do you forget people's names?
- Very Often Quite Often Occasionally
Rarely Never - 1 2 3 4
5 - 4.When you go shopping, how often do you forget
items you intended to buy? - Very Often Quite Often Occasionally
Rarely Never - 1 2 3 4 5
9Semantic Differential All Items
- Not Valuable 1 2 3 4 5
6 7 Valuable - Weak 1 through 7 Strong
- Fragile 1 through 7
Resilient - Small 1 through 7 Large
- Bad 1 through 7 Good
- Confusing 1 through 7 Clear
- Difficult 1 through 7 Easy
- Dull 1 through 7 Sharp
- Slow 1 through 7 Fast
- Negative 1 through 7 Positive
10Methods Participants
- 139 participants were surveyed for this study
- 116 from United States (Mean age 41 years (SD
16.1) - (81 males and 35 females)
- 23 from Hong Kong, SAR (Mean age 33 years (SD
8.6) - (8 males and 15 females)
11Results Descriptive Statistics
- 1. Overall Rating (10 point scale)
- Group (US and HK)
- Mean 6.59 (1.48)
- US residents
- Mean 6.95 (1.41)
- Hong Kong residents
- Mean 6.22 (1.55)
12Results Descriptive Statistics
- 2. Memory Questions (5 point scale 4 questions
pooled) - Group (US and HK)
- Mean 3.27 (.60)
- US residents
- Mean 3.29 (.56)
- Hong Kong
-
- Mean 3.24 (.64)
13Semantic Differential(7 Point Scale)
- Group (US and HK)
- Mean 5.36 (.74)
- US residents
- Mean 5.34 (.88)
- Hong Kong
- Mean 5.41 (.60)
14Results Memory Measures
10-Point Scale
4-Point Scale
2. Memory Questions
1. Overall (Global) Self-Rating of Memory
7-Point Scale
Statistically significant difference in Overall
between US and Hong Kong. Other measures did not
reach significance.
3. Semantic Differential
15Results Overall (Global) Rating of
Self-Perceived Memory Skills(10 point scale)
Statistically significant difference t test for
unequal means (t(137)2.09, p 0.019
16Age Differences (Or lack of)
No statistically significant differences between
younger and older groups in self-perception of
memory skills on any of our 3 measures
17Memory Questions Differences in Age and Culture
- How often do you want to tell a joke and cant
remember it? - Older Group rated their skills significantly
lower (t(137) 2.11, p.01) - How often do you forget appointments? and
- How often do you forget peoples names?
- US group reported significantly better skills
than Hong Kong group (t(137)1l95, p.02) - ..Remembering jokes?
- Hong Kong group reported significantly better
memory skills than US group (t(137)2.37, p.00)
18US Group Better at Remembering Appointments and
NamesHong Kong Group better at Remembering Jokes
A priest, a rabbi, and a monk went into a bar
Hi, Fred. Im here on time!
19Conclusions
- Some of us have quite low estimates of our own
memory skills - No differences in memory self-perceptions for age
in this sample - US residents rated their overall memory skills
higher than Hong Kong residents - Older group rated themselves lower at remembering
jokes - Hong Kong group rated themselves better at jokes
- US group rated themselves better at names and
appointments - Research needs to be extended to clinical
populations (e.g., Parkinson disease, dementia,
stroke, TBI
20References
- Eslinger, P. Dennis, K., Moore, P. Antani, S.,
Hauck, R. Grossman, - M.(2005) Metacognitive deficits in
frontotemporal dementia. 76(12)1630-5. - Flavell, J. H. (1971). First discussant's
comments What is memory development the
development of? Human Development, 14, 272-278. - Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and
cognitive monitoring A new area of
cognitive-developmental inquiry. American
Psychologist, 34, 906-911. - Hannon, R., Adams, P., Harrington, S.,
Fries-Dias, C., Gipson, M. T. (1995). Effects
of brain injury and age on prospective memory
self-rating and performance. Rehabilitation
Psychology, 40, 289-298. - Prudic, J., Peyser, S., Sackeim, H. (2000).
Subjective memory complaints a review of patient
self-assessment of memory after electroconvulsive
therapy. Journal of Electroconvulsive Therapy,
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