In a Memory Experiment, Participants Are Asked to Learn a List

question 322

Multiple Choice

In a memory experiment, participants are asked to learn a list of words and then are tested on the list and the number of words they recall is recorded. In total, participants will be learning three word lists. Each of the word lists is of equivalent difficulty, the first list contains proper nouns, the second list contains breeds of dogs, and the third is a list of kitchen appliances. After working with 20 participants, the researchers notice that these participants are better at recalling the proper nouns, the first list of the three that they learn. How can the researchers be certain that proper nouns are actually easier to recall and that they are not recalled better because they are the first words the participants learn?

• A)Vary the dependent variable between conditions.
• B)Take a random sample of the participants' answers.
• C)Add a control group that only learns proper nouns.
• D)Counterbalance the order of the word lists.

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Definitions:

Queuing Theory

A body of knowledge about waiting lines.

Little's Law

A principle in queuing theory stating that the long-term average number of customers in a stable system L is equal to the long-term average effective arrival rate, λ, multiplied by the average time a customer spends in the system, W (L = λW).

Poisson Distribution

The Poisson Distribution is a statistical distribution that expresses the probability of a given number of events occurring in a fixed interval of time or space if these events occur with a known constant mean rate and independently of the time since the last event.

FIFO

An inventory valuation method, "First In, First Out," where the oldest inventory items are recorded as sold first, ensuring that the inventory remains up-to-date.