An experimental analysis of proactive inhibition.
Item
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Title
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An experimental analysis of proactive inhibition.
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Identifier
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AAI9707135
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identifier
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9707135
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Creator
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Newman, Sandra B.
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Contributor
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Advisers: Bruce L. Brown | Thom Verhave
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Date
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1996
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Behavioral
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Abstract
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Proactive inhibition (PI) in short-term memory has traditionally been studied using the Brown-Peterson task with groups of subjects. Semantic similarity of the trial stimuli, number of stimuli presented on a trial, and retention (distractor) interval duration have been demonstrated to affect the build-up of PI over trials on the Brown-Peterson task. This study examined the effects of the these variables on individual performance.;Twelve normal subjects, ages 17 through 50, participated in this experiment. In order to examine the effects of the variables on individual performance, two additional variables were adjusted to account for individual differences: distractor task difficulty and category membership. The initial similarity manipulation was presented to all subjects. All subsequent manipulations were based upon individual performance on the Brown-Peterson task.;The effect of similarity was examined based upon individual as well as group data. The effect of the number of stimuli per trial and of distractor interval duration were examined based only upon individual data. Two aspects of performance were analyzed. Mean percent correct was analyzed over four trials for both individuals and groups. The build-up of PI (decrement in performance) was measured over trials 1 and 2 for both individuals and groups, and across trials 1, 2, 3, and 4 for groups. The group analyses were performed using five scoring methods; the individual analyses were performed with two. These scoring methods differed with respect to the extent to which recall of correct stimulus position contributed to the score.;The analyses of the group data indicated a robust effect of similarity on overall mean performance for all scoring methods. This robust effect was also found for the build-up of PI over the first two trials for three of the five methods. For one of the two scoring methods used in the analyses of individual data, the effects of similarity, number of stimuli per trial, and duration of distractor interval on overall mean performance were robust. The effects of these variables on the build-up of PI over the first two trials for individuals, however, were not consistent.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
