Elizabeth Drumm

BIOL 102 Observation Memory Experiment

24 Mar 2012

Introduction: Our ability to observe the world around us is essential to our survival. How tired we are at the end of a long work day, when we last ate a meal, drank a caffeinated beverage, or exercised can affect our memory and attention span. In addition to our personal state of health, environmental distractions such as loud noises, voices, commotion, bright lights and time pressures can alter our ability to notice the world around us. Modest stress can actually improve our attention to detail. Under extreme stress, hormones are released to help us survive by making us acutely aware of our surroundings. This experiment will test your ability to recall what you have seen in a modest stress situation. Objectives: To recognize the stages of scientific inquiry as it applies to everyday experiences. To make observations, formulate hypotheses, make predictions To design an experiment to improve observational memory recall. Materials 2 covered trays with 20 different small items on each tray Items: Safety pin, Paper clip, Hair clip, Hair comb, Rubber band, Tea bag, Salad dressing Packet, Package of Kleenex, Eye glass wipe, Spoon, Playing card, One die, Mini Snickers, A Gummi Bear, Package of Gum, Bottle of Vitamins, Battery, Clothes pin, Fake Flower, and Pen. Procedures 1. Covered trays A and B both have an assortment of 20 items. 2. You will look at one tray and your partner will look at the other tray. 3. You will have exactly 20 seconds to look at the items on your selected tray. 4. Have someone time you. Recover the trays immediately. 5. Do not discuss the items you have seen. 6. Return to your desk and devise a hypothesis concerning the precise number items you expect to remember. 7. Compare your days activities. Using this information, predict who will correctly remember the most items, you or your partner? 8. At least ten minutes (time this) after viewing the objects, write down as many of the items as you can remember in exactly one minute. Have someone time you. 9. Compare your results to the keys provided by your instructor. Place a check mark beside each item you guessed correctly. (No Key Provided) 10. Compare your results to those of your lab partners to see who was most successful. Accept or reject your original hypothesis. 11. Then devise a better experimental procedure for this test. Results and Discussion: Hypothesis: After 20 seconds of memorizing, a person can remember at least 10 items out of 20 ten minutes after seeing them. Both subjects spent the day having soccer practice, then grocery shopping. During the experiment the subjects were cooking dinner. Seite 1 von 2

Elizabeth Drumm

BIOL 102

24 Mar 2012

Prediction is that Subject #1 (Mom) will do better because of more practice with memory style games and books. Both subjects took part in selecting the objects that would be placed in the trays. Conclusions: Both subjects could list at least ten in a minute. Both subjects were hungry and tired. Hypothesis cannot be rejected or accepted. The test procedure would be better if a third person prepared the trays. Because both subjects assisted in creating the trays it was easier to remember the items in a short time. For a more accurate test the subjects would not see any of the items until the tray was first uncovered.

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