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How do different types of external distractions affect memory retention? -…
How do different types of external distractions affect memory retention?
Factors
Age
Pre-existing mental disorders ex. ADHD
Attention Span
Quality of memory
Focus level before stating experiment
Participants amount of sleep
Variables
Independent variable - The type of distraction
Possible Dependent variables
Qualitative - How did they feel they went during the recall and how distracted they felt during the memorisation part
Objective Quantitative - Number of words participants can accurately recall
Subjective Quantitative - How they rated their level of focus during the memorisation part
Research Design Type
Experimental - 3 groups of participants are asked to memorise a list of 25 words in 5 min. The groups include a odour distraction, a visual distraction, and an auditory distraction. Each group will only have one distraction and the rest of the room will be distraction free. For example fir the odour distraction there will be a bad smell in the room and no other distractions
Advantages
This allows complete control over the distractions and guarantees that there is only one distraction in the room at a time
Allows a conclusion to be drawn
Scientific manuscripts are easier to read and comprehend.
Can be easily replicated
Disadvantages
Is in an artificial environment
Does not accurately depict how the theory would be in the real world
Observational - Observe students during a study period right before a test and take notes on distractions in the room. Do this in different rooms with different types of experiments. Then view students' test results and compare that with the distractions in the room.
Advantages
Allows data to be seen from a real world perspective
Allows for more natural data
Disadvantages
No conclusions can be drawn
Other variables cannot be controlled
Qualitive - Use the Delphi technique and send a survey out to psychology experts to see their opinions on whether different types of distraction affect memory recall differently.
Advantages
Information is from experts
More flexibility in responses
Disadvantages
Doesn’t allow a conclusion to be drawn
Only gets opinions from experts with no real data
Ethical considerations
Once the study is finished the participants will be fully debriefed on the study and told any information that was hidden from them. The participants will not know what distraction is in the room so at the conclusion of the experiment they will be informed of the distraction they experienced.
All results would be recorded as accurately as possible to make sure there is accurate reporting
All participants in the study will be volunteers and have chosen to be in the experiment
Participants will be given the right to withdraw at any time
Confidentiality is important so instead of names each participant will be assigned an ID number.
Every participant will give informed consent. This will be done by handing our waivers that all participants must sign before starting the experiment. They will that include all the information needed for the experiment
Sample and Population
Sample size - 50 university students from different universities in SA.
Population
SA university students with an age range of 18-22.
Extraneous variables
Participant variables
Quality of memory
Pre existing mental disorders
Age
Constant Variables
The word list will be the same
Conducted at the same time of day
Experiment is conducted in the same room
Situational variables
Outside noise
Lighting in the room
Distractions from other participants
Temperature in the room