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Cognitive Experimental
Research Report.
The Effect of Word and Picture Stimuli on the Number of Items Recalled.
Abstract
Based on Standing’s (1973) examination of recognition memory and the recall of words and pictures which supported the picture superiority effect, this experiment measured the number of items recalled by participants that had either been given word or picture stimulus. The experiment was of an unrelated design in which thirty-four opportune sample participant’s from the University of Glamorgan were assigned to either a picture condition or a word condition and asked to memorise as many of the items from their assigned condition as possible. Based on previous evidence, the research hypothesis was that there would be a significant difference between memory for pictures and memory for words; however the results were non-significant, therefore the picture superiority effect was not supported in this study.
Introduction
Sternberg (1999) suggested that “Memory is the means by which we draw on our past experiences in order to use this information in the present” (Eysenck & Keane 2005, p. 207). According to psychological theorists the term memory covers three important aspects of information processing which are known as the stages of memory. The first stage is encoding (receive process and combine information), the second stage is storage (permanent record made of received information) and lastly there is the retrieval stage (recall of the stored information) (Eysenck & Keane 2005).
Standing (1973) carried out four experiments to examine the capacity of memory and the retrieval speed for pictures and words. The third experiment conducted is the one that is relevant to this experiment as it examined the
Research Report.
The Effect of Word and Picture Stimuli on the Number of Items Recalled.
Abstract
Based on Standing’s (1973) examination of recognition memory and the recall of words and pictures which supported the picture superiority effect, this experiment measured the number of items recalled by participants that had either been given word or picture stimulus. The experiment was of an unrelated design in which thirty-four opportune sample participant’s from the University of Glamorgan were assigned to either a picture condition or a word condition and asked to memorise as many of the items from their assigned condition as possible. Based on previous evidence, the research hypothesis was that there would be a significant difference between memory for pictures and memory for words; however the results were non-significant, therefore the picture superiority effect was not supported in this study.
Introduction
Sternberg (1999) suggested that “Memory is the means by which we draw on our past experiences in order to use this information in the present” (Eysenck & Keane 2005, p. 207). According to psychological theorists the term memory covers three important aspects of information processing which are known as the stages of memory. The first stage is encoding (receive process and combine information), the second stage is storage (permanent record made of received information) and lastly there is the retrieval stage (recall of the stored information) (Eysenck & Keane 2005).
Standing (1973) carried out four experiments to examine the capacity of memory and the retrieval speed for pictures and words. The third experiment conducted is the one that is relevant to this experiment as it examined the
References: Eysenck, L & Keane, M.T. (2005). Cognitive Psychology: A Student’s Handbook (5th edn). New York: Psychology Press LTD. Standing, L. (1973). Learning 10,000 Pictures. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 25, 207-222.