The Practice of Social Research (MindTap Course List)
The Practice of Social Research (MindTap Course List)
14th Edition
ISBN: 9781305104945
Author: Earl R. Babbie
Publisher: Cengage Learning
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Chapter 8, Problem 1RQE
Summary Introduction

Introduction:

A recent study of short term memory capacity sought to determine if shorter stimuli are more easily recalled. In the experiment, researchers hypothesized that short words or short numbers would be more easy to recall than longer ones. The stimuli in this experiment are the words and numbers, while the dependent variable is how many long numbers and long words would be remembered compared to short words and short numbers.

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Explanation of Solution

Answer and explanation:

(This question requires a subjective answer, this is an example.) http://psychlab1.hanover.edu/Classes/Cognition/Presentations/2007/Final%20Papers/ernstberger.pdf

This study, done at Hanover College, hypothesized that people would be able to recall more short numbers than long numbers, more short words than long words, and more long words than long numbers. The average number of information chunks a person can store in the short-term memory is seven, and this study used that average as a baseline to determine if the type of stimulus would influence that capacity. In this experiment, the stimulus is the length of the number or word given to the subject. The dependent variable, the one expected to change as a result of the changing stimulus, is the short-term memory capacity of the subject. This capacity would be measured by how many numbers or words recalled, and the comparative length of the same.

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Chapter 8 Solutions

The Practice of Social Research (MindTap Course List)

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