Rehearsal Strategies for Short-term Memory Retention PDF Download

Author: Wanda Lee Bryceson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : People with mental disabilities
Languages : en
Pages : 248

Get Book Here

Book Description
"The purpose of this study was to test the effects of cumulative rehearsal training in a keeping-track task on the subsequent memory performance of retarded subjects with M.A.'s in the range of 7 to 9. Eighteen retarded individuals were selected for subjects as determined by administration of an abbreviated form of the WAIS, administration of the Slosson Intelligence scale to determine M.A.'s, and examination of school and medical records. The eighteen subjects were divided equally into training and control groups equating according to HA, CA, IQ, and pretest performance on the keeping-track task. Training and control groups were also equated as closely as possible for sex of subject, etiology, and institutionalization. Subjects were administered a pretest on the keeping-track task to determine the presence or absence of spontaneous rehearsal strategies in their memory performance. The training group was administered thirteen days of cumulative rehearsal training on the keeping-track task over a period of six and one-half weeks. Three different types of stimuli were used in training, while only one type was used in testing the effects of rehearsal training. The three stimulus types were (1) pictured materials, (2) real objects, and (3) sounds. There were four categories within each type of stimulus and each category contained several members. The auditory stimuli were utilized in testing to measure transfer of training. The training days were as follows: Training Day 1 and 2: The subjects were trained to rehearse each item overtly as it was presented. The subjects were handed each item as it was presented and instructed to place it in the appropriate box (each box was labeled with the category name). After rehearsing each set, the objects were removed from the boxes. On the first and second day of training the subjects were presented the real objects for sixteen trials. They were required to rehearse only one item at a time on trials 1-4, two items on trials 5-8, three items on trials 9-12, and four items on trials 13-16. Training Day 3: Same procedure as above only pictured materials made up the presentation sets. Training Day 4: The same procedure and class of materials as training day 3 with the following exceptions: trials 1-4 contained three items to rehearse in each presentation set and the remaining eight trials contained four items in each presentation set. Training Day 5: The subjects were presented the auditory stimuli with labeled cards for each category. They were required to rehearse one item on trials 1-4, two items on trials 5-8, three items on trials 9-12, and four items on trials 13-16. Training Day 6: The same procedure, materials, and order of presentation as for training day 5, however the labeled boxes were removed from the subject's view. Training Day 7: Real objects were presented and the subjects were required to rehearse three items on trials 1-4 and four items on trials 5-8. Training Day 8: Exactly the same as training day 7 with one exception; pictured materials made up the presentation sets. Training Day 9 and 10: The subjects were required to rehearse four items in each presentation set, only now they were instructed to whisper their overt rehearsals. Real objects were presented on trials 1-4, pictured materials on trials 5-8, and auditory stimuli on trials 9-12. Training Day 11: The procedure was the same as for training day 10 except that now the subjects were instructed to "say it with your mouth closed so I can't hear you" (covert rehearsal). The presentation sets consisted of pictured materials on trials 1-8 and auditory stimuli on trials 9-12. Trainng Day 12: The procedure was the same as for training day 11 except that the number of trials increased. Pictured materials were presented on trials 1-12 and auditory stimuli on trials 13-16. Training Day 13: On the final day of training the subject was told he would be shown some cards and should try to remember each one he saw. The experimenter then presented four items (one from each category of pictured materials)and instructed the subjects to "say it with your mouth closed like we've been learning to do." All eight trials were composed of the pictured materials. The posttest was administered at the end of six and one-half weeks of training and was exactly the same as the pretest. The tests were scored by absolute scores and difference scores (pretest to posttest). The data obtained were statistically treated by using a mixed analysis of variance (Lindquist, 1953)and critical difference procedures. In analyzing the absolute accuracy performance level on the keeping-track task the analysis of variance showed that the training group performed significantly better than the control group, that the posttest performance significantly exceeded that on the pretest, and that there was a significant interaction between treatment conditions and test conditions (P