Cat-Spoon, Pants-Car: Testing Trials Needed for a Picture Paired Associates Task for Adults
Level of Education of Students Involved
Undergraduate
Faculty Sponsor
Abbie Thompson
College
Arts and Sciences
Discipline(s)
Psychology
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Symposium Date
Spring 4-25-2024
Abstract
This study investigates the number of trials needed for accurate introspection on memory accuracy in adults. Prior research suggests preschoolers benefit from introspection tasks (Hembacher & Ghetti, 2014). Preschoolers encoded items presented once or twice, then completed a forced-choice retrieval test with confidence judgments. Research has also found that memory performance on a paired associates tasks in children is related to their word learning (Vlach & DeBrock, 2017). However, the optimal number of trials in a picture based paired associates task for adults remains unknown. A pilot test indicated 10 trials, commonly used with preschoolers, is insufficient for adults. Our experiment will investigate the appropriate number of trials needed for reliable introspection in adults, with an initial estimate of 40-55 trials based on existing literature.
Recommended Citation
Haluska, Paige and McNamara, Jordyn, "Cat-Spoon, Pants-Car: Testing Trials Needed for a Picture Paired Associates Task for Adults" (2024). Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 1328.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cus/1328
Biographical Information about Author(s)
Paige Haluska is a sophomore health science pre-physician assistant student from Crown Point, Indiana. She became interested in infant and child development research from her Lifespan Development class and is considering a career in pediatrics in the future. She currently works as a Resident Experience Assistant at a nursing home and helps care for those with dementia.
Jordyn McNamara is a junior psychology major from Trenton, Michigan. Her interest in developmental research stems from her background coaching children in figure skating. As a coach, Jordyn has always been interested in how children learn and how she can best teach to their cognitive abilities. In the future, Jordyn hopes to use her background and increased knowledge to work with children in a professional psychology career.