Visual Short-Term Memory Analysis

Research effort in the past decade has focused primarily on the representation of a single visual display (Jiang et al., 2005). In this article, researchers were trying to compare how good humans are at integrating sequential displays in visual short-term memory. The task was conducted by using trials of sequential arrays on a computer. The first array was a cell with seven black dots on random squares in which the participants would have to memorize the location of the black dots. In addition, they would then be given an empty matrix where they would need to click on the box corresponding to those black dots from the previous matrix that they were looking at. Same goes for the second array, but with more black dots. The third and final procedure was based on 16 letters in where the participant would memorize it and then type the letter in the box where it belonged based on what they could remember. The hypotheses of this experiment were referred to as the image integration hypothesis and limited-integration hypothesis. II. …show more content…
This article is an example of an experimental research which also had a controlled variable. The key variables that were found in this research were as follows: VSTM, limited capacity, image-perception integration, and limited integration. How good humans are of integrating sequential arrays would be known as the independent variable. As for the dependent variable, it would be visual short-term memory. It was proposed that although VSTM supports effective comparison between simple representations, it does not support the creation of an entirely new representation on the basis of two separate images (Jiang et al., 2005).
The target population was based on eight college students from the ages 19-28. According to the article, these students chose to participate in this study because of some form of payment that was arranged, in which the article does not go into details with. The sample was based on simple random sampling since it was a very small population from a college. Sampling procedures can be improved by selecting random sampling with a larger population to receive more accurate results. The type of data collection technique that was used for this experiment, were observation, documents and records that were based off from a computer where the test was being conducted in. The problem that aroused from this type of data collection was the question that was asked which was to optimize their overall accuracy. Instead of a naturalistic observation or task doing, they were asked to do as perfect as possible when doing the experiment, pushing them to get better answers. An alternative method of data collection that could be used to increase the quality of the data collected would be interviews. Researchers should come up with a questionnaire or survey regarding the task that was done and compare it to the results from the test. III. The type of data that was collected was quantitative. The test that was conducted was based on how many dots these participants were able to memorize. The scale of measurement that was used is called ratio. This test that was conducted in this study was based on how good humans are at integrating sequential arrays which means that in order to get the amount of “how well” a person’s visual short term memory they needed to obtain those scores that were observed and measure it on a ratio