Hannah Pohlmann Grade 9 Academy of Notre Dame de Namur.

Total Recall

Hannah PohlmannGrade 9Academy of Notre Dame de Namur

Problem

Does one’s environment and age affect how well they study/memorize?

Research

Today:

January 25th 2011

Research

Memory in General Short-term (used in this experiment)▪ Part of brain is the hippocampus, which is

located inside the temporal lobes▪ Things remembered (such as words) and then

quickly forgotten ▪ Easily disrupted▪ Information is converted into long-term from

short term▪ Amnesia if there isn’t enough time to convert

Research

Effects of Distraction on Memory–Tyler Jewett Hypothesized that “the ability to recall words decreased as

distraction increased” Tested subjects by giving them a list of 20 simple 4-5 letter words Given 1 minute to memorize Sat in silence for 2 minutes Then wrote down all remembered words in 2 minutes Second time, the researcher read from the U.S. constitution during

the memorization time ▪ During the 2 minutes between and the two minutes of recall, the researcher

continued to read from the constitution Ability to ignore increases with age

▪ Two test for adults and children▪ Adults did about the same but children did worse with a distraction

ADHD processes the same but cannot remember as well Students scored higher on single-task vs. duel-task tests

Research

CBS and Oxford Do social factors and age affect

memory?▪ Memory/ Cognitive function is affected by

lifestyle, family and other relationships, and a person’s feeling of control over their life▪ The young, healthy, educated, and people

who feel they have control over their life did the best▪ Most memory is based in confidence

Research

WSJ and Wiley Online Library Study involving 5 different music

conditions Memorized letter sequences Music and random digits hampered

results▪ Preference made no difference

Did better with repeated digit and silence

Research

Philly. Com Hearing half of a conversation distracts

much more than a whole conversation Followed dots and clicked on letters

under both conditions With letters there was 10% drop in

corrects Not words but the random occurrences

that distract

Research

Science Direct School near elevated train Loud side of the building scored lower on

reading skills Insulated ceilings and walls were

installed and both sides scored the same

Research

Access Excellence-Brenda Brown Similar to my project Light v. dark, cold, music The researcher starts listing three words

and adds a word each time until the subject cannot remember anymore

Hypothesis

If one’s environment and age changes, then how well they study or memorize will change too.

Materials

Stopwatch Informed consent permission slips Volunteers Lists of words Music TV Chairs Quiet rooms Blank paper

Procedure

Wrote up 4 different lists of 30 words Found 15 (or more) volunteers Had volunteers memorize words for 2 minutes

under different conditions Using a different list every time

After each 2 minute interval, saw how many words the volunteers remember Giving them 2-3 minutes to recall what they memorized

and write it down on provided paper Correct list

Checking for error and or any patterns in memorization Compared results to see how the volunteers were

affected

Data (Environment)

1 2 3 40

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Children

Series1

List number

Avera

ge c

orr

ect

Data (Environment)

1 2 3 413.5

14

14.5

15

15.5

16

16.5

17

Teens

Series1

List number

avera

ge c

orr

ect

Data (Environment)

1 2 3 40

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Adults

Series1

List number

Avera

ge C

orr

ect

Data (Age)

teens children adults0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

List 1

Series1

Data (Age)

teens children adults0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

List 2

Series1

Data (Age)

teens children adults0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

List 3

Series1

Data (Age)

teens children adults0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

List 4

Series1

Conclusion

Teens are the best Teens and children were not effected by

environment TV effected adults Quiet and Music-teens are better than children

but children and adults are the same TV-Teens are best In a quiet, comfortable environment all ages

were the same Supports hypothesis Results may have differed with a larger study

Subjects also got tired as the tests continued

Thanks to:

Those listening, Teachers, Parents, and the following websites:

Avril, Tom. "Half a conversation is worse than none." Philly.com. Philly.com, 27      Sept. 2010. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <http://articles.philly.com/2010-09-27/      news/24978825_1_task-conversation-dot>.

Bronzaft, Arline L. "The effect of a noise abatement program on reading      ability." ScienceDirect. Elsevier, 8 July 2005. Web. 26 Jan. 2011.      <http://www.sciencedirect.com/      science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WJ8-4GK8NN5-3&_user=10&_coverDate=09/30/      1981&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_ac      ct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=4a87cdf73e7c1868fc12ad5281f      a10e3&searchtype=a>.

Brown, Brenda. "Effects of Environment on Memory." Access Excellence . National      Health Musem, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <http://www.accessexcellence.org/      AE/AEC/AEF/1996/brown_memory.php>.

Jewett, Tyler. "Effects of Distraction on Memory." Associated Content. Yahoo, 26      Nov. 2008. Web. 1 Feb. 2011. <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/      1222108/effects_of_distraction_on_memory.html?cat=72>.

Thanks To:

Perham, Nick, and Joanne Vizard. "Can preference for background music mediate      the irrelevant sound effect?" Wiely Online Library. JohnWiley & Sons, Ltd.,      2010. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/      acp.1731/abstract>.

Scott, Jerry. "Zits." Comic strip. chron. The Houston Chronicle, 25 Jan. 2011.      Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <http://www.chron.com/apps/comics/      showComick.mpl?date=20110125&name=Zits>.

Singer-Vine, Jeremy. "Music Impairs Certain Acts of Memorization." The Wall      Street Journal 9 Aug. 2010: 1. The Wall Street Journal. Web. 26 Jan. 2011.      <http://online.wsj.com/article/      SB10001424052748703988304575413231864435268.html?mod=WSJ_hps_sections_health#arti      cleTabs%3Darticle>.

Stevens, Fred C.J., et al. "How ageing and social factors affect memory." CBS      MoneyWatch.com. CBS Interactive Inc., July 1999. Web. 1 Feb. 2011.      <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2459/is_4_28/ai_55450324/pg_6/      ?tag=content;col1>.