Memory Measuring Tasks
Memory Measuring Tasks: In studies, researchers have devised multiple tasks that require participants to remember random information e.g., numerals or letter strings in different ways. There are several memory measuring tests that are given as
- Recall Versus Recognition Task
- Implicit Versus Explicit Task
- Intelligence and The Importance of Culture in Testing
Recall Vs Recognition Test
In case of a recall, you produce a fact, a number, a word, or other items from memory. Let’s take an example, fill-in-the-blank is most essay tests need that you recall items from memory. For example, assume you want to measure people’s memory for late-night comedians. You could ask people to name a TV comedian.
In case of recognition, you chose or otherwise identify an item as being one that you have been exposed to earlier. For example, you might ask people which of the following is a late-night comic: Jennifer Lopez, Jay Leno, Guy Ritchie, Cameron Diaz. Multiple-choice and true-false tests include some degree of recognition.
There three basic types of experiments that are used to measure the memory which are:
- Serial recall
- Free recall
- Cured recall
The experiments and examples are given in the table below:
Recognition memory is generally much better than recall. Some psychologists state to recognition-memory tasks as tapping receptive knowledge. Receptive which means “responsive to a stimulus.” In a recognition-memory task, you reply to stimuli presented to you and choose whether you have seen them before or not.
Recall-memory tasks, in which you have to give an answer, require expressive knowledge. Differences between receptive and expressive knowledge also are perceived in areas other than that of simple memory tasks e.g., language, intelligence, and cognitive development. Recognition tasks are given in the above table.
Implicit Vs Explicit Memory Tasks
Memory theorists distinguish between explicit memory and implicit memory. Each of the tasks earlier discussed includes explicit memory, in which contestants engage in conscious recollection. For example, they might recall or recognize facts, words, numbers or pictures from a particular prior set of items.
A correlated phenomenon is an implicit memory; in which we use information from memory but are not consciously aware that we are doing so. You can read the word in the photo given below on the left without problems although a letter is missing.
The Rotary Pursuit Task
In this task, subjects use an L-shaped stylus to track a small, rotating disk on a spinning platform.
The rotary pursuit task involves participants to maintain contact between an L-shaped stylus and a small rotating disk. The disk is usually the size of a nickel, less than an inch in diameter. This disk is placed on a swiftly rotating platform. The participant must track the small disk with the wand as it speedily spins around on a platform.
After learning with a particular disk and speed of rotation, participants are asked to complete the task again, either with the same disk and the same speed or with a new disk or speed. It was noted that when a new disk or speed is used, participants do comparatively poorly. But with the same disk and speed, participants do as well as they had after learning the task, even if they do not remember earlier completing the task.
