Memory Process Serial Position Effect Lab Report

Memory Process Serial Position Effect - Lab Report Example Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968) tried to explain the primacy serial position effect as a result of the greater attention allocated to the first and last items on a list. This improves the probability of recalling such items in long-term memory. They explained recency serial position effect as being recalled by short-term memory as last items were last viewed through the list. Rundus (1971) proved that participants devoted more rehearsal to items first in list. Welch & Burnett (1924) further proved that primacy effect was reduced and items first in list were not stored in long-term memory when participants were asked to only rehearse items while they were being presented. Glanzer & Cunitz (1966) showed that items presented at faster rates provides less rehearsal time by participants which reduced primacy effect. The recency effect was also proved to be related to short term memory by requesting participants to do something else before testing their memory of items. Both, Glanzer & Cunitz (1966) proved that the recency effect is explained by short-term memory account by introduction a distracter activity after last items on a list such as a small arithmetic question. They found that recency effect was reduced by such distractors. The following experiment investigates the serial position effect.This is accomplished by recalling of alphabet letters using a software simulation program. Hypothesis to be tested was that structural retention occurs faster than semantic and phonemic retention. Method Participants The participants in the experiment consisted of University undergraduates enrolled in a Cognitive Psychology course. Apparatus The experiment was conducted by use of computers install in Lab. Each computer ran the simulation psychology program Psyktrek 3.0. Participant used a standard mouse to enter their input in the computer. during the experiment. Procedure Participants were positioned in front of a computer which ran the simulation program Psyktrek 3.0. Once the CD was loaded on the computer, a selection of different types of experiments is displayed on the screen. The Memory Processes Serial Position option was pressed using the mouse.The program presents a page with one side of blank space and the other side with buttons representing each letter of the alphabet. Each trial consists of a sequence of six letters which are presented separately. Each letter was displayed for one second. All letters on the side become clickable once the letters are hidden. Each respondent uses his mouse to click on the letters he recognize in any order. The program waits for participants to select six letters then it stops receiving participants input. The program records the time taken to enter all choices. Participants then pressed the Next trial button to go to the next sequence of letters until six trials are conducted. After participants complete all six trials, results of correctly recognized and recalled lettes are displayed. These results include tabular and graphical presentation of the percentage of correctly recalled items together with a list of presented letters. Results Data for participant number 7 and 8 were removed due to procedural error in recalled results. Recall and Recognition: Descriptive analysis of the data shown in appendix I, reveals that the mean average of recalled letters was (9.3) with standard deviation of 4.4. This accounts to 22.4% of all letters displayed. The mean average of

Computer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Computer - Essay Example Key to a computer is an appropriate RAM, this is because it runs computer programs and store the relevant information and data. Dell Inspiron 15R laptop has a Pre-installed memory (RAM) of 6GB. In addition, it has a hard disk drive of 320-GB that can turn at 5,400 revolutions per minute. Nonetheless, operators have the option to upgrade it to the hard disk capacity to 500GB or to downgrade to 250GB. This is an efficient laptop, its other important features include; the optical drive of times 8-speed, DVD as well as CD burner that provides both minus or plus DVD recordable format support and dual-layer disc type. Dell Inspiron 15R laptop is powered with up to 4th Generation Intel Core processors system it’s operating system entail Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium. However, the windows version can be upgraded to the professional edition or be maintained depending on the preference of the users. Besides, the laptop has a LED Backlit display which measures 15.6 inch with special features like 1366 x 768 HD resolution and True-life. The Dell Inspiron 15R laptop processor system comprise of a proficient dual-core Intel Core i3-380M. Besides, it has a processing speed of up to 2.53GHz among other features. The laptop is considered more efficient because it is fitted because it is fitted with Ivy Bridge Core i5-3210M, processor which is paired with 6GB of system memory 3-MB. This enhances the performance since it provides high-speed access to computer data; and an Intel High Definition computer Graphics chipset for high graphics and quality video capabilities. The secondary storage system of The Dell Inspiron 15R laptop stores data for example, the Windows 7 operating system and other important user files. This system is determined by the existing volume of the hard disk. As mentioned in previous sections, Dell Inspiron 15R supports a hard disk volume of up to 500 Gigabyte (GB). This is

The Decline of the Ottoman Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Decline of the Ottoman Empire - Essay Example This was as a result of internal issues as well as the external elements. The external elements came about in form of other civilizations, movements and powers that came along and posed challenges to the Ottoman Empire. The Western Imperialist expansions were one of those that contributed towards the decline of Ottoman Empire in a direct and indirect manner. The impact of Decline of Ottoman Empire: The result of Ottoman Empire’s decline was creation of vacuum in terms of authority, capacity and power possessed by a single Empire. For centuries Ottoman Empire held the reign firm and controlled the native regions under its grip effectively. With the gradual downfall, the question of stability, political replacement, and social substitution left much to be desired and a question to be addressed. This vacuum creation brought about unhealthy competition and race for the occupying of power seat in the region in order to maintain the say and influence in the region. The Empire was at peak during the days when it conquered the Constantinople and this marked the pinnacle of their achievements (Melton and Baumann, 2903). Root causes of decline of the Empire: The root causes were in form of political instability, internal intrigues, social disparity, nationalistic movements, alienation of the rulers from the people, external elements influence, awakening amongst the masses, Porte’s ambitious governors (Couto and Loureiro, 39) and various other factors that led to the disintegration and decay in a gradual manner. 1682 can be termed as a significant period in the history of Ottoman Empire when they suffered their first defeat. Economic aspect is also attributed as a factor that led to the downfall of the Empire. With no social equality, too much being spent in the wars and other military pursuits led to starvation and inflation in the social and economic ranks, ultimately leading to disparity and discontent amongst the masses and subjects spread far and wide. The negative impact of economy directly told upon the military expansions, investments and developments. With the other empires and ruling regimes building on the military might, the Ottoman Empire stayed behind with regard to military advancements. The advancements in technology over period of time and most notably the Europe region, made the cause and case further worse for the Ottoman Empire. The demise of one Sultan led to a battle for supremacy and attainment of the throne between the successors, this would result in the division of loyalties and eating up of the financial resources within. The role of Ambitious Governors: Mehmat Ali and Ibrahim Pasha were two of the governors appointed by the Porte to administer and govern over Egypt. They were highly ambitious in their motives and intentions. They would demand new terms and territories from the Porte time to Time. Syria, Pashalik and other regions were under their interest. This internal strife gave an opportunity to the fore ign elements to intrude and make inroads in terms of their vested interests. France went in support of the war, Turkey in return had to fight a war with Russia in 1877 (Drury, 3)which further exposed and weakened the Empire’s say and influence in the region. Parts of continent Africa that were under the direct or indirect influence of the Porte also served as point and region of interest for the European Imperialistic and engaged them in rivalry with one another. Western

Does the research evidence support using caesarean section for Essay

Does the research evidence support using caesarean section for reducing mother to baby transmission of hepatitis C during labour and birth - Essay Example y Armstrong and his colleagues, the incidence of Hepatitis C infection in the US escalated from zero to 44 cases for every 100,000 individuals before 1965. The prevalence of the disease reached its peak in the 1980’s when the incidence of HPV infection became 100-200 per 100,000 individuals (Armstrong et al., 2000, p. 779). Although HCV infection in most patients is asymptomatic, several cases demonstrate certain symptoms including jaundice, fatigue, myalgia, low-grade fever, right upper quadrant pain, nausea, or vomiting (Moore et al., 2001, p. 658; Maheshwari et al., 2008, p. 325; Webster et al., 2009, p. 110). If not given appropriate medical attention, hepatitis C often leads to liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis, hepato-cellular carcinoma, and liver damage (Vogt et al., 1999, p. 868; Moore et al., 2001; 657; Geller and Herman, 2006, p. 88) The most efficient mode by which the virus is acquired occurs via repeated and direct percutaneous exposure to infected blood and organs from unscreened donors, exposure of blood through the use of contaminated medical instruments, injection drug use, and haemodialysis procedures (Lavanchy, 1999, p. 147; Bartolotti et al., 2007, p. 784). However, with the advent of better needle exchange programs, blood donor screening, hygiene care, and education among injecting drug users, a significant decline in the prevalence of Hepatitis C has been reported since the 1990s (Armstorng et al., 2000, p. 779; Geller and Herman, 2006, p 86). Another route by which HCV infection can be acquired is through vertical transmission ( e.i. passive acquisition of the virus by children from infected mothers) ( Kudo et al., 1997, p. 225). The actual mechanism of mother-to-child HCV transmission is not yet known, but exposure to infected mucous, fluids and blood from the mother significantly increases the ris k of transmission (Indolfi and Resti, 2009, p. 837) According to Plunkett et al. (2004, p. 998), the highest prevalence of Hepatitis C occurs

The Decline of the Ottoman Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Decline of the Ottoman Empire - Essay Example This was as a result of internal issues as well as the external elements. The external elements came about in form of other civilizations, movements and powers that came along and posed challenges to the Ottoman Empire. The Western Imperialist expansions were one of those that contributed towards the decline of Ottoman Empire in a direct and indirect manner. The impact of Decline of Ottoman Empire: The result of Ottoman Empire’s decline was creation of vacuum in terms of authority, capacity and power possessed by a single Empire. For centuries Ottoman Empire held the reign firm and controlled the native regions under its grip effectively. With the gradual downfall, the question of stability, political replacement, and social substitution left much to be desired and a question to be addressed. This vacuum creation brought about unhealthy competition and race for the occupying of power seat in the region in order to maintain the say and influence in the region. The Empire was at peak during the days when it conquered the Constantinople and this marked the pinnacle of their achievements (Melton and Baumann, 2903). Root causes of decline of the Empire: The root causes were in form of political instability, internal intrigues, social disparity, nationalistic movements, alienation of the rulers from the people, external elements influence, awakening amongst the masses, Porte’s ambitious governors (Couto and Loureiro, 39) and various other factors that led to the disintegration and decay in a gradual manner. 1682 can be termed as a significant period in the history of Ottoman Empire when they suffered their first defeat. Economic aspect is also attributed as a factor that led to the downfall of the Empire. With no social equality, too much being spent in the wars and other military pursuits led to starvation and inflation in the social and economic ranks, ultimately leading to disparity and discontent amongst the masses and subjects spread far and wide. The negative impact of economy directly told upon the military expansions, investments and developments. With the other empires and ruling regimes building on the military might, the Ottoman Empire stayed behind with regard to military advancements. The advancements in technology over period of time and most notably the Europe region, made the cause and case further worse for the Ottoman Empire. The demise of one Sultan led to a battle for supremacy and attainment of the throne between the successors, this would result in the division of loyalties and eating up of the financial resources within. The role of Ambitious Governors: Mehmat Ali and Ibrahim Pasha were two of the governors appointed by the Porte to administer and govern over Egypt. They were highly ambitious in their motives and intentions. They would demand new terms and territories from the Porte time to Time. Syria, Pashalik and other regions were under their interest. This internal strife gave an opportunity to the fore ign elements to intrude and make inroads in terms of their vested interests. France went in support of the war, Turkey in return had to fight a war with Russia in 1877 (Drury, 3)which further exposed and weakened the Empire’s say and influence in the region. Parts of continent Africa that were under the direct or indirect influence of the Porte also served as point and region of interest for the European Imperialistic and engaged them in rivalry with one another. Western

Change in Bankng Sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Change in Bankng Sector - Essay Example However, this certainly does not mean that CEOs' salary is almost immune to the ensuing circumstances (Frederick, 2000). The fast unravelling omens are indicative of the fact that such salary appreciations may not continue in 2009. Many banks and financial institutions are resorting to freezes on executive remuneration and the concerned experts are already professing a highly constrained rise of a mere 2 to 3 percent in the current year (New Zealand Management, 2009). In the given context, the executive pay has become a crucial issue in the sense that despite the rising unemployment rates and the ongoing credit crunch, it has become imperative for the banks and financial institutions to hold on to the key executive talent (New Zealand Management, 2009). A possible analysis of the level and structure of bank CEO pays needs to be conducted in the light of the emerging trends and challenges (Crawford et al., 1995). Just a year ago, it was not possible to divine the scale of crises that has engulfed the banking sector in the US and Europe. The emerging trends marked by a heightened state intervention, with governments becoming crucial stakeholders in the reputed banks like the Royal Bank of Scotland and the destined to merge Lloyds TSB and HBOS, the year 2009 no doubt will unleash never before vistas for the bank CEOs (Investors Chronicle, 2009). Such sector specific developments are projected to be further aggravated by the accompanying macroeconomic trends like a predictable, above average shrinking of the major economies like the US and the UK. While the natural reaction of the banks is to opt for restrained lending policies, the governments are pressing them hard to extend loans to individuals and small businesses (Monday Business Briefing, 2009). Further, the bad debts and balance sheets are making the markets much competitive. Despite the central banks throughout the world trying hard to enhance liquidity, the interbank loans continue to be dearer. Under such tough circumstances, only the best will survive. This bleak scenario marked by a cutthroat competition is bound to have an impact on the salaries of all the employees in general and the bank CEOs in particular (African Business, 2009). Competition and Bank CEO Compensation Consequently, the situation becomes quiet understandable, considering the existing circumstances. In an environment replete with fast shifting degrees of competition and abundant regulations, the banks are more then under strain to realign the remuneration of CEOs and top executives with the organizational objectives and sustainability (Bebchuk & Fried, 2003). Scenarios defined by elevated competition make it imperative for the banks to tag the salaries of their CEOs with overall performance. The rational that under normal circumstances, the CEO's salary constitutes just a tiny proportion of the total value of a bank should not confuse one (Kay &

How to Introduce a Speaker Essay Example for Free

How to Introduce a Speaker Essay Speech introductions are often an afterthought, hastily thrown together at the last second by someone with little knowledge of the speaker, their speech, or the value for the audience. And yet, speech introductions are critical to the success of a speech. While a strong speech opening is vital, nothing helps establish a speaker’s credibility more than a carefully-crafted and well-delivered introduction. This article gives you a series of practical tips for how to introduce a speaker to position them with the best possible chance to succeed. 1. Answer three core questions. When you are introducing a speaker, your primary goal is to prepare the audience and get them excited for what they are about to hear. To do this, you must answer these three core questions: * What is the topic? * Why is this topic important for this audience? * Why is the speaker qualified to deliver this talk? By addressing these three questions, you’ve given the audience a motivation for listening (the topic is important to them), and you’ve reinforced the speaker’s credibility. 2. Prepare and practice adequately. â€Å"While a strong speech opening is vital, nothing helps establish a speaker’s credibility more than a carefully-crafted and well-delivered introduction.† At all costs, avoid thoughts such as â€Å"Oh, I don’t need to prepare†¦ I’m just introducing a speaker.† Thoughts like that lead to stumbling, bumbling, off-the-cuff introductions which undermine your credibility and the credibility of the speaker. You should write out (and edit) the full introduction, check it with the speaker, and practice it several times. 3. Memorize it, or minimize your notes. Try to memorize the introduction; speaking without notes will add to your authority, and the audience will put more weight in your recommendation (that is, to listen to this speaker). If you are unable to memorize the entire introduction, then use as few notes as you can. Be sure you can you deliver the last sentence of your introduction without notes as this will maximize momentum for the speaker. 4. be positive and enthusiastic. The audience takes cues from you. If you seem disinterested, they will be disinterested. If you are (genuinely) positive and enthusiastic, they will be too. Your choice of words, voice, gestures, and facial expressions should all convey enthusiasm. So, how do you ensure you are enthusiastic? 5. Get to know the speaker. It is difficult to get the audience excited about the speaker if you aren’t excited yourself. If the speaker is previously unknown to you — for example, suppose you’ve volunteered to introduce speakers at a large industry event — your introduction may lack sincerity. So, get to know the speaker. Google them. Talk with them. Ask others about them. Research the speaker and their expertise until you are excited by the opportunity to introduce them. 6. Eliminate mispronunciations. A sure way to weaken your own credibility and that of the speaker is to mispronounce their name, the title of their presentation, or any other key terms. Luckily, this is easily avoided through practice and by confirming the correct pronunciation with the speaker well before the presentation. (Don’t wait until you are delivering the introduction to ask them — this looks amateurish.) â€Å"A sure way to undermine your own credibility and that of the speaker is to mispronounce their name, the title of their presentation, or any other key terms.† 7. be accurate. Being accurate is as important as correct pronunciation, perhaps more so. Make sure you know the precise years, facts, or details. If you make factual errors, many speakers will feel an irresistible compulsion to correct you. This is a lousy way for them to begin their speech, and will almost certainly kill their momentum. 8. Don’t alter the speech title. Many speakers craft their presentation title very carefully, and the words matter to them. The title may be a phrase they want the audience to remember, it may reflect language used on accompanying slides, or it may be a humorous play on words. Don’t change it under any circumstances. (And, of course, know how to pronounce it.) 9. Should you attempt humor? In most circumstances, no. Your objective is to get the audience excited about the topic and the speaker, and this is not the time to tell humorous anecdotes about the speaker. Save those for a roast! There are exceptions (as there are to all public speaking advice), and you’ll have to use your judgment. If this speech is part of a longer event, and the preceding talk has been particularly sad or low on energy, then it may help to lift the spirits of the audience. If you need to do this, do it early in your introduction, and then move on to the more thought-provoking content leading to your climax. 10. Don’t give an outline of the speech. I was once introduced by someone who had seen a longer presentation I gave on the same topic two years prior. Not only did they ignore the introduction I had written for them, but they gave a detailed outline of my whole talk, including which parts were their favorites! Unfortunately, my outline had changed substantially, and they had created unreasonable expectations and sabotaged my talk. Avoid undermining the speaker by giving too many details about the speech, telling anecdotes from their speech, or making promises about details in their presentation. It is the speaker’s job to decide how and when they reveal their outline. Keep your introduction at a high level, unless they have specifically asked you to do otherwise. 11. Stick to relevant expertise of the speaker. One very common mistake is to recite a lengthy list of biographical details (education, awards, former job titles, publications, etc.) which may or may not be relevant to the topic being presented. This is especially common at academic conferences. For example, avoid introductions such as: Our speaker grew up in Seattle and graduated at the top of her mechanical engineering class at Carnegie Mellon University. She went on to earn a Master’s Degree from Duke University, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Harvard. She is a member of the Automotive Engineers Association, and a two-time recipient of the Stone Award for Distinguished Linguistics Research. She was previously the Director of Research at Hasbro, and is currently the CEO for the Miami Dolphins. Her talk today is entitled â€Å"How to Dougie.† A much better introduction would touch on how many years the speaker had Dougying whether she had been trained or self-taught, and that she had written a book on this topic. Okay, maybe that example was a bit extreme. But, even if the speaker has a lengthy list of biographical details that are related to her talk, there’s no need to recite them all. Pick a small number (about three) that are most relevant — usually the most recent details. Why not give all the details? 12. Don’t overdo it. Long introductions filled with biographical details are bad for two main reasons: * Long introductions are boring. Nobody attends an event to listen to the introducer go on and on. * Long introductions are pompous. Reciting dozens of professional accolades gives the impression that the speaker cares only about himself and his ego. Keep your introduction just long enough to accomplish your goals: [1] what’s the topic, [2] why does it matter, and [3] why is the speaker credible? â€Å"Keep your introduction just long enough to accomplish your goals: [1] what’s the topic, [2] why does it matter, and [3] why is the speaker credible?† I’m a big fan of short introductions in just about all situations. Sixty or ninety seconds is usually ample time. For really long presentations, (e.g. keynote addresses lasting an hour or more) two or three minutes may be warranted. 13. Avoid clichà ©s. How many times have you heard: â€Å"This speaker needs no introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ? While the speaker may indeed be well-known to the audience, nearly every speech benefits from a brief introduction. 14. Avoid exaggerated hype. Your introduction should get the audience excited about the presentation, but don’t take it too far. For example, it is reasonable to claim that the presentation will help the audience solve a business problem, save time, or understand the complexities of tax policy. But, it doesn’t help anyone to claim that â€Å"this presentation will solve all your problemsâ€Å", or that it is â€Å"the best presentation you’ll ever hearâ€Å", or even that â€Å"you’ll be amazed by what you are about to hearâ€Å". Proud expectations will actually have a detrimental effect, because the audience will feel challenged to prove you wrong. 15. Build to a climax. Your vocal delivery (strength and volume) should build toward the end of your introduction. (Keep it reasonable†¦ there’s no need to yell.) By doing so, the audience will be compelled to welcome the speaker with loud applause. One effective way to do this is to end with the speaker’s name and explicitly encourage applause: Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming our guest speaker, Baby Girl! 16. Ensure a smooth transition. Know where the speaker will be as you speak your last words so that you can turn in that direction to greet them. Etiquette dictates that you should wait for them to come to you (e.g. on the stage, or at the lectern) and then shake hands before you leave. Shaking hands is a symbolic gesture that indicates you are â€Å"handing the floor† to them. Occasionally, the speaker may have a special entrance planned. (e.g. entrance music, a staged stunt, something with a prop) Make sure you ask the speaker about this, and do whatever you can to support them in a successful entrance. How to Introduce a Speaker: 16 Essential Tips for Success Preparing an Oral Report Follow these steps to put together and deliver a first-rate presentation. Step 1. Research the Facts Gather information about the subject of your oral report. List the facts and interesting information from your reading, taking notes accurately. Remember that relevant details and vivid descriptions will make your oral report more interesting, as will visual aids such as maps, charts, and pictures. Step 2. Organize Your Information Organize your oral report in three parts. †¢ Introduction How will you introduce your report? What will be your first line? Write a short introduction that briefly explains what your report will cover. †¢ Body Organize the main points of your report. They should follow a logical order. Be sure that: all your information is accurate; you have included information from your research to support your main points; you use details and descriptive sentences to make your report interesting. †¢ Conclusion Write a short conclusion. You can use the conclusion to: wrap up and restate your main points; draw upon your main points to formulate a personal opinion concerning the topic of your report. Step 3. Practice Giving the Oral Report Practice presenting your oral report with a friend or family member. If no one is available, try practicing in front of a mirror. Keep the following points in mind when you give your report. †¢ Hold your body upright and face your audience. †¢ Speak clearly and deliberately—you want everyone to hear what you have learned. †¢ Refer to your notes only when necessary. Step 4. Make A Final Copy of Your Report Notes Use your notes to make a final outline of your report and put it on one index card or half-sheet of paper. Try to use this card alone when giving your report. Refer to the rest of your notes only if absolutely necessary. http://go.hrw.com/resources/go_ss/teacher99/toolkit/TOOLKT19.pdf