A cross cultural study of eidetic imagery and short term memory

Lewis, William Michael

Title: A cross cultural study of eidetic imagery and short term memory
Creator: Lewis, William Michael
ThesisAdvisor: Page, H W
Subject: Cross-cultural studies
Subject: Eidetic imagery
Subject: Short-term memory
Date: 1974
Type: Thesis
Type: Masters
Type: MA
Identifier: vital:3141
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007182
Identifier: Cross-cultural studies
Identifier: Eidetic imagery
Identifier: Short-term memory
Description: The complexity of behaviour necessitates a clear and concise approach in order to comprehend its functioning. An example of such an approach is highlighted by the field of cybernetics. Cybernetic models have been used extensively throughout the various fields of Psychology but perhaps never more so as in the case of short term memory (STM). This particular field abounds with behavioural models and research workers are constantly developing new models or testing the universality of existing models. Universal validity is essential to the strength of the behavioural principles inherent in any model but unfortunately such validity tends to be neglected. The present study attempts to reconcile this position with reference to specific models of STM, with relation to the phenomena of eidetic imagery (EI). Certain studies concerning the incidence of EI in illiterate Africans have produced results which are contradictory to those obtained in the Western culture. Two of the most important contradictions concern the fact that the illiterate Africans experienced the absence of an age parameter on the occurrence of such imagery and the fact that the incidence of imagery was more extensive in the African culture. A reason for these contradictions was sought and it was reasoned that as eidetic images have been closely linked with memory images, it may, therefore, be assumed that these particular cultures may use EI as an aid to memory in the absence of written material. Further, it would not be unreasonable to assume that this visual imagery may tend to dominate the STM process and thereby challenge the universality of those memory models that proposed acoustic domination of this process. No work has been done in investigating the memory process of the Africans. Thus, a study which did so would not only test the universality of specific memory models but would also possibly throw more light on the memory process itself. In this particular study there were three specific aims; (a) to ascertain the relative incidence of EI on a cross-cultural level, (b) to assess the influence of EI on the memory process, and (c) to ascertain the extent to which principles of STM developed in the West applied to the African groups. The groups concerned in the study comprised two Xhosa groups and a European group. The European group (WS) was drawn from a White Student population at Rhodes University and was regarded as a control group. The equivalent literate Xhosa group (BS) was drawn from a Black Student population at the University of Fort Hare. The illiterate Xhosa group (RX) was drawn from a population of Red Xhosa people in the Transkei. Four tasks were administered to the groups with the cross-cultural variable carefully controlled as much as possible. The following comprised the four tasks; (a) eidetic imagery (b) auditory serial recall (c) visual serial recall and (d) an acoustic confusable task. Each subject commenced with the eidetic imagery task and was then confronted with a random presentation of the other three tasks. The EI task began with an after image task which was foIlowed by three selected pictures which comprised the EI task. After each picture presentation the subject was closely questioned as to the presence of imagery. Scoring was of a subjective nature. The visual and acoustic confusion tasks constituted serial presentation of ten items over six randomized trials. Each item was presented for 0,75 seconds with a negligible inter-item interval. The presentation order of the items was randomized throughout the trials. Presentation was by means of a preprogrammed 16mm colour film. Items were scored for correct serial position. The auditory task consisted of the serial presentation of ten items over six randomized trials. The items were once again randomized throughout the trials with regards to presentation order. The presentation speed was one word per second. The presentation was by means of a pre-programmed tape. Items were scored for correct serial position. The visual task was common to both language groups whilst the other two tasks correlated with the language group. Thus, the items in the auditory and acoustic confusion tasks were different for each language but an attempt was made to control this variable. The tasks were conducted in the subjects home language which was either Xhosa or English. It was assumed that the RX group would demonstrate a greater incidence of EI, irrespective of the age of the subject, and that imagery would be reflected in the recall performance of the memory tasks. It was suggested that imagery may determine or encourage the mode of storage that the subject employed, which, in this case, would be the visual modality. If so then it would be expected that visual storage would circumvent the detrimental influence of acoustic confusability. The Xhosa university group (BS ) was an unknown quantity but was included to ascertain whether there were any marked differences between the group and the other two. The results revealed that imagery was in fact more prevalent in the Xhosa groups whilst the WS group demonstrated a complete lack of EI but did report the presence of pictorial imagery (PI). However, imagery did not appear to function as an aid to memory. It seemed, however, that in certain instances it correlated with visual encoding. Generally the Xhosa subjects, especially with regards to the visual tasks, tended to encode visually whilst the WS group encoded auditorily. With reference to recall performance, it was found that in all instances the WS group demonstrated superior recall followed by the BS and RX groups in that order. There was a significant difference in the strength of recall between each of the groups. The results of the auditory and visual tasks were interpreted within the STM principles developed in the West. It was found that the WS group adhered to these principles thereby justifying its position as a central group. The BS group followed a similar pattern with exception to the recency effect which was much weaker in their case. The RX group reported the absence of any storage and rehearsal strategies and this was reflected in their poor recall performance. They too were characterized by a very weak recency effect. The interesting point arose, however, when the auditory and visual recency effects were compared. According to Crawder and Norton (1969) the influence or the precategorical acoustic store (PAS) on recall should be reflected by a comparatively stronger auditory recency effect. This trend was observed in relation to the WS group but not to the Xhosa groups who tended to demonstrate a stronger visual recency effect. It was therefore, suspected that PAS did not operate with the same effectiveness with the Xhosa subjects. In fact it was suggested that in the case of the Xhosa subjects the visual peripheral store may be stronger than PAS. Contrary to expectation all three groups exhibited acoustic confusion. This was expected of the WS group as the subjects preferred auditory storage , but not of the Xhosa subjects who preferred visual storage. It was suggested however, that in the case of the Xhosa subjects the visual storage technique would have to be abandoned immediately prior to or during recall as recall was necessarily in the auditory modality. The outcome of the experiment generally confirmed Doab's conclusions as to the incidence of imagery and its relation with memory. However, due to the Xhosa preference for visual storage and their stronger visual recency effect, Sperling's model was slightly modified. Conrad 's findings were, of course, substantiated.
Format: 192 pages, pdf
Publisher: Rhodes University, Faculty of Humanities, Psychology
Language: English
Rights: Lewis, William Michael

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