Memory Game maths GCSE - Essay Example

Memory Game- Maths GCSE Introduction "Memory is but the storage of fragmentary but 'relevant' features" - Walter J. Ong (Wikipedia-the free online encyclopedia) Memory is critical to humans and all other living organisms. Practically all of our daily activities-talking, understanding, reading, socializing-depend on our having learned and stored information about our environments. Memory allows us to retrieve events from the distant past or from moments ago. It enables us to learn new skills and to form habits. Without the ability to access past experiences or information, we would be unable to comprehend language, recognize our friends and family members, find our way home, or even tie a shoe. Life would be a series of disconnected experiences, each one new and unfamiliar. Most theoretical models of memory distinguish three main systems or types: sensory memory, short-term or working memory, and long-term memory. Within each of these categories are further divisions. Sensory memory refers to the initial, momentary recording of information in our sensory systems. When sensations strike our eyes, they linger briefly in the visual system. This kind of sensory memory is called iconic memory and refers to the usually brief visual persistence of information as it is being interpreted by the visual system. Echoic memory is the name applied to the same phenomenon in the auditory domain: the brief mental echo that persists after information has been heard. Similar systems are assumed to exist for other sensory systems (touch, taste, and smell), although researchers have studied these senses less thoroughly.(Encarta reference library 2003) Hypothesis The aim of this experiment is to test short term memory of the players. Short-term memory to refer to the ability to hold information in mind over a brief period of time. We can keep information circulating in working memory by rehearsing it. Several experiments can be performed to test this. The experiment can be performed on the assumption that is the person is able to recall more he/she can be said to have more observation power. It can also be assumed that the things that are recalled are ore familiar to the person. We can recall events,things and also facts that are more familiar to us quickly than those that are unfamiliar. For example in a 1966 experiment, subjects were shown a series of 15 words, then tested for their recall of the words immediately or after 30 seconds. When tested immediately, people remembered items at the beginning and end of the series better than those in the middle, a phenomenon called the serial position effect. Memory for words at the end of the list faded when the test was delayed 30 seconds. The experiment The experiment is simple. The players are given a series of 10 words . These words would appear on the computer screen for a brief period of 30 seconds and the players would observe what they see. After 30 seconds the words would disappear and the players would write them on papers provided to them. This process would continue several times with different words each time. The words may be meaningful or meaningless. The experiment is performed in the following phases Phase 1 The following ten words are taken. Since it is the first phase the words are simple and easy to remember: Bun,tea,biscuit,plane,ink,pen,pencil,earth,bat,ball The outcome: All the five members could recall successfully all the words. The number of words are taken in the y-axis and the persons are taken in the x-axis i.e. 1 indicates person 1 and so on. From the above observation it can be inferred that recalling words depends upon the ease of words. Phase 2 In this phase the following words are taken: Abberant,adjourn ,ablong,abound,abrasive,abort,abstract,affiliate,aliterate,astounding The outcome: Person 1 2 3 4 5 Number of words 10 8 5 4 6 From the table it can be inferred that the first person recalled 10 words, the second person recalled 8 words, the third person recalled 5 words, the fourth person recalled 4 words and the fifth person 6 words. By drawing graph it can be clearly understood: It can be observed that not all of the players could recall all the words correctly. There was only one person who could recall all the ten words correctly. The main idea which was used by the player to recall was by forming some sort of sentence out of the words given. For example the first three words of the above words may be converted into a sentence(It need not convey anything) like this : An abberant man adjourned himself into an ablong material which was abound and abrasive but got aborted. It can also be inferred that words with rhyming would be somewhat easier to recall as they would be alike. It would be possible to remember the other words by just remember the word similar to it. Phase 3 This time the words taken consists of a mixture of meaningful and meaningless words: Zxcalh,justification,stratification,acdsju,juxtaposition,rahdeuin,dhusbn,gratification,anisotrophy,cryptography The outcome: The outcome was entirely different this time. None of the players could recall the meaninless words except one. This indicates clearly that the ability to recollect things relies mainly on comprehension and understanding. Conclusion There are several factors that influence memory. The way in which the person understands the facts, the way in which he/she visualises the facts and makes a meaning out of them. There are also ways to improve memory. This comes out of harnessing and exercising the mind, concentrating and undertstanding. Bibliography "Memory" CDROM Encarta reference library 2003, Seattle "Memory" Read More