Classroom Demonstration of Experimental Method using Levels of Processing Theory Laura A. Powell and Jack Shelly-Tremblay University of South Alabama, Department of Psychology

Levels of Processing Theory (LOP)  Craik and Lockhart (1972)  depth of processing Sensory analysis (Structural) Pattern recognition (Phonemic) Stimulus elaboration (Semantic)  Depth of processing leads to increases in retention  Craik and Tulving (1975)  Experiment 9: A Classroom Demonstration

PSY 320 Research Design and Analysis II  Writing Component Course  Four progressively longer APA manuscript papers  Paper 1- Results section (Chi Square)  Paper 2- Methods and Results sections (Correlation)  Paper 3- LOP literature review  Paper 4- full APA manuscript on LOP experiment  One Credit PSY 321 lab course attached  R statistical program

LOP Demonstration  Informed Consent  Intentional learning- “take a short test”  Answer sheet instructions  Structural- upper vs. lower case Craik and Tulving, 1975  Phonemic- counting syllables  Semantic- pleasant vs. unpleasant Hyde and Jenkins, 1973

Answer Sheet Instructions  Structural Answer Sheet  You are about to see a list of 20 words. Your task is to determine whether the word is written in uppercase or lowercase letters. Below write U for uppercase and L for lower case. Please mark your decision next to the appropriate number for each word. Look carefully because each word will only be presented once. Do not discuss this task with others until the task is complete.

Answer Sheet Instructions  Structural Answer Sheet  You are about to see a list of 20 words. Your task is to determine whether the word is written in uppercase or lowercase letters. Below write U for uppercase and L for lower case. Please mark your decision next to the appropriate number for each word. Look carefully because each word will only be presented once. Do not discuss this task with others until the task is complete.  Phonemic Answer Sheet  determine the number of syllables in each word as it is presented. For example, if the first word has three syllables, write 3 in the first space.  Semantic Answer Sheet  rate each word as it is presented in terms of how pleasant the word is to you. Below write U for unpleasant and P for pleasant.

Stimulus Words  problem  TOMORROW  enemy  MILK  religion  air  CHIEF  friend  journal  machine  winter  saturday  OCEAN  LIBERTY  WOUND  sister  HISTORY  MEDICINE  rest  bear

LOP Demonstration  Recall task  Turn your sheet over and write as many words as you can remember.  Debriefing and Paper Assignments  Paper 3- LOP literature review  Analysis of data using “R” statistical program One way ANOVA with post hoc tests if LOP is significant Two way ANOVA if you add other IVs  Paper 4- full APA manuscript on LOP experiment

LOP Results Spring 2013 Post hoc comparisons Structural – Phonemic p = Structural – Semantic p < Phonemic – Semantic p = N = Females and 11 Males

LOP Results Fall 2008-Spring 2013 Post hoc comparisons Structural – Phonemic p < Structural – Semantic p < Phonemic – Semantic p < N = 737

Gender Results Spring GenderTotal Female83 Male50 Total133

Gender Results Spring Levels of Processing GenderStructuralPhonemicSemanticTotal Female Male Total

LOP Results Spring Post hoc comparisons Structural – Phonemic p = Structural – Semantic p < Phonemic – Semantic p < 0.001

Interaction Spring

Conclusions  Levels of Processing can be a successful demonstration  the experimental method  one or two way ANOVA and post hoc tests  Full APA manuscript  Encourage students to encode information at the Semantic level

Limitations  PSY students may have some knowledge of Levels of Processing  PSY General Psychology  PSY Cognition  Some PSY students may have encountered LOP experiment in other classes

Contact Information  Laura Powell   Jack Shelly-Tremblay 