StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

How the Information is Processed in the Mind - Report Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "How the Information is Processed in the Mind" highlights that the experiment yielded the expected results, there were still some problems that need to be addressed. From this and the previous experiments, the focus is only on latency in finding a target…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.9% of users find it useful
How the Information is Processed in the Mind
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "How the Information is Processed in the Mind"

Research Report on the Flanker Task By: This experiment was to establishing whether there is an effect on the arrangement of random arrows on the latency in identifying a target arrow. Five arrows were used with a target arrow being at the middle. Congruent and incongruent arrangements were used. Results showed that there was latency for incongruent arrangement while there was no latency for congruent arrangement of arrows. The experiment concluded that, the arrangement of arrows’ direction with that of noise arrows has an effect on the latency time taken to identify the right arrow. The conclusion from this experiment is in agreement with the previous conclusions drawn by Eriksen on the same. Introduction In studying how the information is processed in the mind, neuropsychological studies have been employed to show this. The approach on movement when visual information is displayed has been applied to make this study more practical and clear. Another way is using figures and images embedded in noise elements. Response is observed and the by this, conclusions will be drawn on what and how the response is affected. Eriksen and Eriksen (1974) in their study established that the response of neutral flankers that were physically similar to incongruent flankers caused a slower response than neutral flankers, which were physically similar to congruent flankers (Eriksen & Eriksen, 1974). Moreover, flankers which were congruent and identical to the target yield faster reaction times than flankers which were congruent but not identical (Eriksen & Schultz, 1979). These studies by Eriksen and Schultz show clearly that congruency do affect the reaction rate in response time. It also showed that similarity with the target increase the reaction rate while those not similar to the target increases the latency. These experiments performed before have clearly shown that irrelevant stimuli are processed throughout the sensorimotor system which explains these responses (Eriksen & Eriksen, 1974). The experiment is based on Eriksen’s Effects of Noise Letters experiment where he used a target letter at the middle and four noise letters (Eriksen & Eriksen, 1974). But for this experiment instead of using letters as it was for Eriksen, it uses five arrows with the target arrow in the middle. The participants will be asked to identify and respond to the direction they see the target arrow faces. The time taken for the participants to respond to this will also be measure in order to establish the speed of reaction. Eriksen further says that latency in response time can be obtained if the physical sizes of the random and target letters are different, even if they are similar (Eriksen & Schultz, 1979). The experiment aims to identify whether there is an effect on the arrow direction on the speed of identifying a target arrow placed in the middle of noise arrows. In doing this, a fixation stimulus was presented for 500ms at the start of each trial then Flanker stimuli presented for duration of trial until participant response. Stimuli presentation is white on a black background. Instructions were on 24 point font size while the fixation stimuli were on 48 point size. Method Participants There were 120 participants in this experiment with a mean age of 20.7 years. The setting of the experiment place being a college, it was expected that most of the participants should be the young people. The gender of the participants was also balanced. Of the total participants 115 completed the task successfully. Design Table 1 below show an example of variables that were available for the respondent. 1 show the direction of all arrows including the target facing left (Congruent left), 2 show all the arrows including target facing right (Congruent right), 3 show the noise arrows facing left while the target arrow is facing right (Incongruent right), while 4 shows noise arrows facing right and the target arrow facing left (Incongruent left). These were not the only arrangements though since the target would face any direction (right or left); likewise the nose arrows could face any direction. The experiment will base itself in these four conditions. The response to these conditions will be used to determine the latency in response and at the end be able to give a basis on the cause of the latency. Table 1 Experiment Conditions of the Stimuli Stimuli Condition 1. > Congruent right 3. > Incongruent left Procedure In order to get the best results, a practice block of 20 trials and one experimental block of 120 trials were performed, although the results were drawn from the experimental block only. During the practice block the participant was provided with error feedback on performance. There was no feedback provided during the experimental blocks. The experimental block consisted of 60 Congruent and Incongruent trials (presentation = random, no replacement). The participants response was (e) for left and (i) for right direction of the target stimuli arrow. The instruction to participants was to see the arrows in the centre of the screen. The focus was on the centre arrow whereby the participant was to identify which direction the center arrow is facing. The arrows appeared in many ways, either facing one direction or different directions. Results From the experiments, the results were obtained from 115 participants who completed the experiment successfully. To ensure quality and reliability of results fixation stimuli was presented for 500ms at the start of each trial then Flanker stimuli presented for duration of trial until participant response. Stimuli presentation is white on a black background. Instructions were on 24 point font size while the fixation stimuli were on 48 point size. The results were recorded for each participant and analyzed using SPSS. In each data, the latency mean time for congruent and incongruent response was recorded. The congruent latency mean was zero. This showed that for a congruent arrangement of arrows, there was no or the latency was negligible. On the other hand, a time of 1ms was recorded as incongruent latency mean. The latency median also had same result as for latency mean. The congruent latency median was zero, while the incongruent latency median was 1ms. These results clearly showed that, there is an effect of latency when congruent and incongruent noise arrows are added to a target arrow. This experiment enabled us to prove a previous experiment by Eriksen on the same issue. Discussion In this experiment we were basically trying to establish the effect of random arrows and their direction on latency. The experiment established the fact that latency is largely depended on the direction of noise arrows. This experiment clearly showed that congruency do matter a lot in making quick decisions by the brain. In relation to the previous researches and the hypothesis of this research, it was clear that there was no much difference between them. The experiment gave the expected results from the previous prediction from similar experiments done in the past. Despite the fact that the experiment yielded the expected results, there were still some problems that need to be addressed. From this and the previous experiments, the focus is only on latency in finding a target. According to my recommendation, there should be more study on what else could be causing the latency in making a decision apart from the arrangement of the target and noise elements. This should be able to establish a general and whole cause of latency and reaction times in making decisions, actions and movements. The threshold maximum latent time in which a choice of decision is affected by the above mentioned elements. References Eriksen BA, Eriksen CW (1974). Effects of noise letters upon the identification of a target letter in a nonsearch task. Percept Psychophysics 16: 143–149, 1974. Eriksen CW, Schultz DW (1979). Information processing in visual search: a continuous flow conception and experimental results. Percept Psychophysics 25 (4): 249–263, 1979. Retrieved 10 December, 2012 from http://jn.physiology.org/content/104/1/119.full#ref-17 Appendix A: Cases to Variables Appendix B: Descriptive Statistics Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(How the Information is Processed in the Mind Report, n.d.)
How the Information is Processed in the Mind Report. https://studentshare.org/psychology/1790240-research-report-on-the-flanker-task
(How the Information Is Processed in the Mind Report)
How the Information Is Processed in the Mind Report. https://studentshare.org/psychology/1790240-research-report-on-the-flanker-task.
“How the Information Is Processed in the Mind Report”. https://studentshare.org/psychology/1790240-research-report-on-the-flanker-task.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF How the Information is Processed in the Mind

Analyzing Verbal Reports on Mental Processes

Individuals more often than not report on the results or outcomes of their thought patterns and not the mechanics of how they came about with those results.... Persons would often give out responses or reactions without the ability to explain how they came about with their responses.... They can answer why they responded or reacted in a certain way, but they find it difficult to answer how they arrived at the underlying reasons for such responses or reactions....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Theories on Cognitive Process

The current trend in cognitive studies is to view the mind is modular, and Grice concurs that this implementation of his approach may be a way to work out the presence of a conversational implicature intuitively.... This modular view of the mind is based on the tendency in evolution to select systems that promote efficiency, and that many of these systems are genetically subscribed.... hellip; However, in the Gricean view of pragmatic interpretation is that is generally an application of mind-reading abilities....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Understanding of the Mind and Its Processes

This paper tells that developing an understanding of the mind and its processes is a very complicated process.... nbsp; Cognitive Science Developing an understanding of the mind and its processes is a much more complicated process than it appears at first glance.... Perception, then, is what we first believe we have seen and then becomes adjusted as we begin to process this information through other areas of the mind based on information we remember or understand from previous experience....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Whats True About the Mind

the mind determines a man's intellect or his intelligence.... hellip; Our five senses of touch, smell, sight, taste, and hearing are the main inputs to the brain which makes the mind react, respond and externalize them into thoughts, actions, feelings, and speech.... The essay "What's True About the mind?... the mind determines a man's intellect or his intelligence.... the mind is able to judge situations and act accordingly....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

The Effective Use and Importance of Hypothesis in Management

However, it cannot be denied that the information that will be obtained is dependent on the raw data....  The hypothesis from experiences in research is the fundamental basis of the kind of information that is wanted to be found out or tested.... tatistics is one of the best tools used to analyze and obtain information from a given data or set of information.... Statistics consists of numbers and these are used to define and form concrete information....
5 Pages (1250 words) Assignment

How Memory Works With Shallow and Deep Encoding

2 The process by which the mind stores an awful lot of information in the head of human individuals is a great and awesome truth about the amazing capabilities of the human body's capability to respond to the environment that a person lives in.... 3 This particular capability of the mind is the basic reason why there is learning.... Truthfully, the entire process of storing and utilization of information is taken considerably by the human mind as the main function that it contributes to the function of the human body....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

Mental Process

This essay demonstrates that the mind is powerful for mental cognition.... The manipulation and discernment on information are simple ways in which people are driven to act and to respond to some incitements.... The manipulation and discernment of information are simple ways in which people are driven to act and to respond to some incitements....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

English Composition

On developing a construct, the mind/memory will always associate it with the incident.... The paper seeks to find out how the memory relates to the objects that it captures over time.... The aspects off cognition in a child's mind are developed through stages.... Therefore, the relation between the memory and objects can be attributed to the fact influences that various kinds of schemas have on the human mind.... The human memory works in an amazing way by accepting information input from the immediate environment then storing them for retrieval when the need...
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us