Sunny's AP Psychology Blog

Our Memory

Our class conducted an experiment in which Mr. Anthony read out a series of numbers, each with one more digit than the last. I remembered correctly up to the 8-digit number, then started messing up. our classes average was 7 + or - 1 digits. With a larger sample of people, the average would have been 7 + or - 2.
We have a tendency to group numbers together when recalling long series of numbers (e.g. phone numbers)

We also conducted an experiment wherein Mr. Anthony held up sheets of paper with a word and either the letter A or B, and we would write down the number of syllables for the A words and positive or negative
for the B words. Properly carried out, the experiment would have shown that words processed on the level of meaning, the B list, would have been more easily remembered, but as the class knew by now that we would be asked to recall those words, many tried to remember those words, making associations for both lists.
Words are easier to recall when we recall them based on their meanings rather than their sound or shape.

posted by 미카 @ 7:08 AM