Physical and semantic features of long-term memory

Physical and semantic features of long-term memory

240 International Journal of Psychophysiology 94 (2014) 120–261 were presented only in the memory task but not in the fixation task. Furthermore, thi...

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240

International Journal of Psychophysiology 94 (2014) 120–261

were presented only in the memory task but not in the fixation task. Furthermore, this study indicates that memory strategies of forward and backward recalls mutually differ because fixating on items oneby-one disrupts memory processes for backward recall but not for forward recall. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2014.08.924

Effects of a 3D printing course on mental rotation ability among 10-year-old primary students Motong Chena, Yun Zhangb, Yueying Zhangc a High School Affiliated to Fudan University, China b Shanghai Psylife Consulting Company, China c Shanghai World Foreign Language Primary School, China This research examined the effectiveness of 3D printing influence on mental rotation ability, an important and emblematic type of spatial ability. Researchers (Lisa, 2002; Fuli Yang, 2008; Aytac Kurtuluú, 2010) demonstrated the improvement of spatial ability through training. Forty-six primary school students (22 boys and 24 girls, with the mean age = 10) were distributed randomly into an experimental and a control group. Each group (n = 23) was given a pre-test base lining their mental rotation skills before the start of their seven month course. The pre-test revealed no significant difference (F(1,45) = 1.004, P = 0.322) in baseline mental rotation ability between the two groups. The experimental group was given instruction on utilizing Google's SketchUp in designing 3D building models and executed practical operations on 3D printers. Alternatively, the control group participated in traditional classes. A post-course evaluation tested mental rotation ability of both groups. Using pre- and post-testing scores as dependent variables, we performed repetitive measure ANOVA and found: the main effect of pre- and post-test was significant (F(1,42) = 25.051, P = 0.000); overall the post-testing scores were higher than pre-testing scores. An interaction effect between pre- and post-test, gender and group existed (F(1,42) = 5.386, P = 0.025). An effect analysis revealed that the difference between pre- and post-test of the boys in the experimental group was significant (F(1,11) = 17.599, P = 0.001), the difference between pre- and post-test of the girls existed (F(1,10) = 6.287, P = 0.031) but not to the extent for the boys. By comparison, the difference between pre- and post-test of the girls in the control group was significant (F(1,12) = 11.929, P = 0.005), while the difference between of the boys in the control group resulted in minute differences (F(1,9) = 0.093, P = 0.767). Using the difference of both testing scores as single dependent variable and gender and group as two factors, we performed a two way ANOVA resulting in: the main effects of group and gender were not significant (F(1,45) = 2.535, P = 0.119), (F(1,45) = 0.138, P = 0.712); the interaction effect between group and gender existed (F(1,45) = 5.386, P = 0.025). An effect analysis revealed that the difference of pre- and post-testing score of the boys of the experimental group is significantly higher than those in the control group (F(1,21) = 5.386, P = 0.025), while this had not happened on the comparison of the girls of the two groups (F(1,23) = 0.322, P = 0.576). The findings indicate that mental rotation ability has rapid development in children at the age of 10, the development of girls' spatial ability is faster than boys, and 3D printing course significantly promotes the mental rotation ability of boys. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2014.08.925

Physical and semantic features of long-term memory Natalya G. Shpagonova, Vasiliy A. Sadov, Daria L. Petrovich Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia The researches of memory executed in various approaches allow one to consider psychophysiological and psychophysical aspects of memory. The purpose of the study is the experimental research of the dynamics of physical and semantic features of the standard stimulus during its storage in long-term memory. We have selected as standard sound clip the birdsong in the forest (2449 ms) as the most pleasant, natural, well-known, strong stimulus opposed to other fragments: cat's meowing, dog's barking, call of the cuckoo, the sound of the falling drops, kick ax on a tree, scream walrus and chimes. The survey was conducted individually and consisted of five series. In the first series the subject was presented the standard stimulus that he could hear a few times to memorize its duration. Then the subject measured the clip's features at the points of semantic differential. The survey consisted of five series. In the first series the subject was presented the standard stimulus. After its memorization the subject measured the clip's features at the points of semantic differential (SD). After 20 min of storing the subjects reproduced the memorized duration of the standard stimulus pressing a key (20 times). The second series was carried out after 7 days. The task of the subject was to recall and reproduce the duration of the standard stimulus pressing the key, as well as fill out a form of semantic differential. The following series were similar to the second one and were carried out at 14, 21, 28 days after the first series. We found an underestimation of the duration of the standard stimulus in the group in all five series. The analysis of variance demonstrated that the greatest changes in the duration of the standard subjective stimulus have been till the 21st day (p b 0.01). The minimum of the standard deviation of the duration of the standard stimulus has been in the 7th day. Analysis of SD results showed that after storage in long-term memory the standard stimulus was estimated as more indistinct, sad, smooth, deaf and less bright, final. Two groups of subjects were pointed out. We identified an underestimation of the duration of the standard stimulus in the first group and the overestimation in the second group in all five series. The standard stimulus was found no forgetting with time of storing. This fact can be regarded as a manifestation of the consolidation effect of mnemonic trace that leads to the fixing of engrams in memory. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2014.08.926

Unconscious acoustical stimuli effects on event-related potentials in humans Viktoriia Yu. Ivanova, Ekaterina A. Kopeikina, Varvara V. Choroshich, Anton Yu. Aleksandrov Saint-Petersburg State University, Russia Unconscious perception essentially affects human behavior. The main results in this area were obtained in experiments with visual stimuli. However, the acoustical stimuli play a not less important role in behavior. The main idea of this study is the electroencephalographic investigation of unconscious acoustical stimulation effects on electro-physiological activity of the brain. For this purpose, the event-related potentials were acquired under unconscious stimulus priming paradigm. The one syllable, three letter length, Russian