Grant (1998) - Context Dependent Memory

Question 1

Grant - Background (Tulving)

Answer 1

• Context-dependent memory refers to improved recall of specific episodes or information when the context present at encoding and recalling information are the same
• The environment around us acts as memory cues that help trigger the information that was learned at a specific place

Question 2

Grant - Research Method

Answer 2

• Lab experiment with independent measures design
• IVs: conditions in which ps were studying/tested in (either silent or noisy for both)
• DV: ps performance on an SAQ recall test and a MCQ recognition test

Question 3

Grant - Sample

Answer 3

• 39 students from Iowa state university (17 females, 23 males)
• Opportunity/snowball sampling: 8 psychology students, acting as experimenters, each found 5 acquaintances to be ps

Question 4

Grant - Materials

Answer 4

• Psychoimmunology article
• Cassette player
• Headphones

Question 5

Grant - Procedure

Answer 5

• Each p wore headphones
• Noisy conditions listened to the background noise of the university cafeteria
• Ps read a meaningful text and were allowed to underline or highlight
• Time taken to read article recorded and 2 minute rest break
• 2 tests taken - 10 SAQs (recall) and 16 MCQs (recognition)
• Entire procedure lasted about 30 minutes

Question 6

Grant - Results

Answer 6

• Individual differences in reading time, but no consistent differences between noisy and silent study conditions
• Scores significantly better in matching conditions than in non-matching conditions
• Scores best in silent silent condition (6.7 SAQ and 14.3 MCQ on avg)

Question 7

Grant - Conclusions

Answer 7

1. Noise does not affect a student’s capacity to study
2. As context-dependence affects retrieval in both SAQ and MCQ tests, students should study in quiet surroundings, as exams are typically held in silence

Question 8

Grant - +/- research methods and techniques

Answer 8

+ High level of control over extraneous variables e.g. same noise was played to all noisy condition participants, they were all given the same article and instructions etc.
- Some variables still were not standardised for e.g. the amount of time given fro the initial reading of the article was not controlled

Question 9

Grant +/- data

Answer 9

+ easy comparison across conditions
+ objective
- no analysis of essay-style questions (qualitative data) so not able to generalise more widely