Lab 10: Memory
ESAT 3200 Motor Learning & Development
Name:______Score:______
Lab Activity 1: Passive and Active Memory Condition
Introduction: Your text discusses the importance of having the context of practice and the context of the test similar to promote remembering. If a teacher develops a context where the activities are similar to what the student will experience in the game or sport or the physical therapist develops a context where the client relearns a motor skill through activities that match how he or she will use the skill in real life remembering the movement components of thatskill will be promoted. The practice context of a movement should be similar to both the environmental conditions and characteristics related to the person performing the movement in the test context. For example a power sport athlete in basketball, football, or hockey should fully perform the play at the same intensity level as if they were to perform the play during a competition.
An important factor on remembering is the relationship between the context and performance characteristics by performer in practice and the test context. In many cases the test context in physical education is the game or sport that the teacher will have their students play during the daily lesson or unit. In physical therapy the test context would be performing the skill in a reallife situation such as walking across a busy street intersection in retraining one to walk. Researchers have termed this memory principle as the encoding specificity principle. The encoding specificity principle indicates that the there needs to be a close relationship between encoding and retrieval memory processes between practice and test context.
Purpose: This lab will examine the encoding specificity principle by adopting the procedures used in an experiment conducted by Lee and Hirota (1980) using an arm-position task. The encoding specificity principles predictions in this lab are: 1) active movements to the criterion arm location will be recalled with more accuracy as compared to passive recalled movement.
Equipment: Kinesiometers, Linear Movement Apparatus, and blinders.
Procedures: Each student will perform 16 recall trials on the arm-position task. The student will be blindfolded across all the trials. You are attempting to learn a 10 degree movement using the kinesiometer apparatus or 10 cm movement using the linear movement apparatus.
Active Movement Condition. On 8 randomly presented trials, you will move the non-dominate arm and hand while being blindfolded from the starting position to a criterion end position specified by a physical block. The physical block at the end point prevents one from moving the arm beyond the finish point. You will move the arm freely once the command to move by experimenter is given. After each active attempt, your arm will be repositioned at the starting point and you be asked to recall the movement without the physical block at the criterion end point.
Passive Movement Condition. On 8 randomly presented trials, the experimenter will passively move thenon-dominate arm and hand to the criterion end position. After each passive movement, you will perform a recall test where they would actively move their hand to the criterion position without passive assistance.
If you are the experimenter in this lab conduct the lab where the criterion end point and recall conditions are varied or randomized. These controls are essential to prevent any subject bias in performing during recall. The start positions can be presented in both directions, that is, one trial may start to the right and other to the left.
Data Collection: First the experimenter must randomize the start points and recall conditions (8 active & 8 passive). Record your accuracy scores to nearest cm and record if they were short (-) or long (+) of the criteria end point.
Table 1: Individual Data Collection
RandomizeCriterion Start Point Location / Randomize Passive & Active Recall (need 8 for each condition) / Trials / Passive Condition Recall scores (only 8 scores should be recorded) / Active condition Recall Scores
(only 8 scores should be recorded)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Calculate your Absolute Error Score for the Passive Condition & Active Condition*
Refer to Lab 1 in how to calculate your absolute error score.
Graphing. Develop a bar graph where one can view your absolute scores for each condition side by side. Labeling each bar by condition on the x-axis will be necessary, Error scores in cm should be labeled on the y-axis. Entitle the graph: Passive and Active Memory Conditions.
Lab Activity 2: Vision & Walking
Introduction: Purpose of this activity is to examine how vision and memory combine to influence the control of walking. Suppose the telephone rang and you had to walk across the room to answer it. Then imagine what would happen if the lights suddenly sent out and you were pitched into total darkness along the way to the phone. How would you be affected? This lab will answer the question by simulating the time and distance to get to the phone.
Task: The task is to walk to targets that are 3, 6, or 9 m away from a starting position, under three different conditions: 1) the subject walks with eyes open but looking straight ahead, not down on the floor; 2) the eyes are closed immediately before walking; and 3) the eyes are closed and the subjects waits 20 seconds before walking.
Procedure: Use the masking tape, mark a starting position on the floor with an X. Then place a short horizontal strip of tape at each of the three distances from the X along a straight line at 3, 6, and 9 m away. Follow the table in the results section of the lab report for the ordering of trials and distances to walk.
The following instructions should be followed carefully, Before each trial the subject should make a careful survey of the distances of the three targets, then give a verbal ready signal to the experimenter. At this point the experimenter will say either, “look straight ahead (eyes open condition) or “close your eye” (eyes-closed conditions). Then the experimenter will tell you which of the three targets is the goal on that trial (near, middle,or far target). In the case of the eye open and eyes closed with no delay conditions, the experimenter will then tell the subject to start to walk. In the case of eye closed with a 20 sec delay,the experimenter will tell the subject to count to one-thousand-one to 20, then to begin to walk. At all times the goal of task is to finish with front edge of the right foot on the goal line.
Measure the subject’s walking accuracy in terms of the absolute distance from the target. Always use the front of the right foot as reference for determining the error distance from the target.
Results
The absolute error for each trial should be recorded on your individual data sheet following questions sections of this lab report.
Individual Raw Data Table
Trial / Target / Condition / Absolute Error1 / Open / 9 m
2 / Closed/no delay / 3m
3 / Closed/delay / 6m
4 / Closed/delay / 9m
5 / Open / 3m
6 / Closed/no delay / 6m
7 / Closed/delay / 3m
8 / Open / 6m
9 / Closed/no delay / 9m
From the results recorded on your individual data sheet calculate your mean performance error in each of the nine different conditions. Record this data in following table.
Individual Summary Table
Target / Open / Closed/no delay / Closed/Delay3m
6m
9m
Graphing.Plot your results of the nine conditions on a bar graph. The three target distance should be on the x axis. You should have the three group bars (one for each vision condition for each target distance designated on the x axis). Y axis should be absolute error scores. Name the graph, effects of vision on walking.
Lab Discussion Questions:
- Did your results support or not support the encoding specificity prediction? Support your answer with your data. Also, were your results similar to Lee and Hirota (1980) found on page 186 of your text? Why did you or Why did you not find support for the encoding specificity principle?
- What seems to be the reason why the encoding specificity principle is especially relevant to learning a closed skill?
- Provide me one example of how you would use the encoding specificity principle in a teaching, physical therapy, or exercise context?
- How was performance affected by the distance that the subject was required to walk? Explain with your data.
- How was the performance affected by the different vision conditions? Explain with your data?
- Did the time with eyes closed plus delay differ from the closed no delay conditions? Explain with your data. From what you have learned about memory what could be the possible reason for a not or having a difference?