PSYC13016: Cognitive Psychology Assessment

Research Activity

Phonological Similarity

This research activity presents the basic method for the phonological similarity experiment. You have been provided with one independent variable (phonological similarity). You will need to add a second independent variable based on your interests and reading of the literature. For more information about the assignment please see the relevant section of Moodle and the virtual tutorial on the research report.

The Research

According to Baddeley (1990) the phonological loop was theorized to account for the finding that information in short-term memory is coded phonologically. For example, when seeing a list of words, mistakes in recall are often based on the sounds of the words (i.e the phonological structure). If Baddeley is correct then it should be harder to recall letters that rhyme than letters that do not rhyme. This research activity examines this question using memory recall of sequences of letters.

Basic Method

The grid below shows ten sequences of eight letters. In each sequence four of the letters are phonologically similar and four of the letters are phonologically dissimilar. You should present each sequence in turn to your participant and ask them to recall that sequence.

For example, you should present the first sequence to your participant, then remove the sequence and ask the participant to recall the sequence as accurately as possible. If the test items are q w e r t y u i, then the participant should aim to write down q w e r t y u i. If the participant can’t remember a letter they should leave that space blank. Then present the next sequence and again ask the participant to recall the sequence as accurately as possible, and so on until you have presented all ten sequences to the participant. You should have sixteen completed grids for sixteen participants.

• Total for even rows:

• Total for odd rows:

• Total of values in bold boxes

• Total of values in normal boxes

Scoring

1. Place a small circle around items that are incorrect. For example, if I wrote q w e r y u t i as my answer to the first example, then I would mark this by placing a circle around y, u, and t (as although y and u were in the original list, they are in the wrong order).

2. For each column, add up the number of circled items for the even rows.

3. For each column, add up the number of circled items for the odd rows.

4. Add the totals in the bold boxes together (this value is the total number of errors with letters that rhyme: B, C, D, G, P, T).

5. Add the totals in the normal boxes together (this value is the total number of errors with letters that do not rhyme: H, F, M, Q, R, S, Z).

6. Compare the two totals.

Prediction

Baddeley’s (1966) theory of phonological encoding predicts that you should have a greater number of errors for letters that rhyme than for letters that do not rhyme, even though you have not verbalised the letters during learning.

Example:

• Total for even rows: 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1

• Total for odd rows: 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 1

• Total of values in bold boxes: 8

• Total of values in normal boxes: 3

In this example, more errors were made on trials with rhyming words than on trials with non-rhyming words.

If you don’t get the data that you were expecting don’t panic. Lots of experiments don’t work in science and sometimes the reasons why they don’t work can provide important insights. At the very least we can learn about how to do the method better next time.

Summary of Assessment Requirements

The PSYC13016: Cognitive Psychology Research Activity – Phonological Similarity is designed to explore short-term memory encoding, specifically the phonological loop as theorized by Baddeley (1990). The assessment requires students to:

1. Conduct a memory recall experiment using sequences of letters, where one independent variable is phonological similarity (letters that rhyme versus letters that do not).

2. Add a second independent variable of the student’s choice, informed by literature review.

3. Record recall accuracy for 16 participants using the provided ten sequences of letters.

4. Score and analyse errors by marking incorrect items, separating phonologically similar (rhyme) letters from dissimilar ones, and comparing totals.

5. Make predictions based on Baddeley’s phonological loop theory, expecting more errors in recalling rhyming letters.

6. Reflect on outcomes, discussing potential methodological improvements if results deviate from expectations.

Key pointers for completion:

• Follow the basic method strictly: present sequences, record responses, and mark errors.

• Distinguish between phonologically similar and dissimilar letters for scoring.

• Accurately total errors in bold and normal boxes to compare performance.

• Interpret results in line with Baddeley’s theory.

• Document participant data for all 16 participants.

• Ensure clarity and accuracy in reporting results.

Approach Guided by Academic Mentor

The Academic Mentor guided the student through the assessment in a step-by-step process:

1. Understanding the theory:

   • Explained the phonological loop and its relevance to short-term memory recall.

   • Clarified how phonological similarity can influence errors.

2. Planning the experiment:

   • Advised the student to add a second independent variable, such as sequence length or presentation speed, based on current literature.

   • Structured a plan to present sequences systematically to each participant.

3. Conducting the experiment:

   • Mentored on presentation of letter sequences and accurate recording of recall.

   • Emphasised consistent instructions for all participants to reduce variability.

4. Scoring and data analysis:

   • Demonstrated marking errors with small circles for misordered or incorrect letters.

   • Guided the student in summing errors for rhyme versus non-rhyme letters, both in even and odd rows.

   • Explained comparison of totals to test the hypothesis.

5. Interpretation and reflection:

   • Discussed how to interpret data, even if the expected pattern did not occur.

   • Highlighted that unexpected results provide insights and can suggest methodological improvements.

Outcome Achieved

• The student successfully completed the memory recall experiment for 16 participants.

• Data was scored systematically, distinguishing errors in phonologically similar and dissimilar letters.

• Results were compared with Baddeley’s predictions, confirming or exploring deviations.

• Learning objectives achieved:

  • Application of cognitive psychology theory in experimental settings.

  • Development of practical research skills, including data collection, scoring, and analysis.

  • Critical thinking and reflection on methodology and results.

  • Understanding the relationship between phonological similarity and memory recall errors.

This structured approach ensures that all assessment requirements were met, while guiding the student to achieve a thorough understanding of the phonological similarity effect and the experimental method in cognitive psychology.

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