1. CLOA: Cultural Factors in Cognition

2. Difference between Social and Cultural Social A factor which you are born without but not necessarily into Cultural A factor which you are born into (race, religion, area)

3. Cultural Factors on Cognition There is a growing need for specialized education (education systems reflect this as a need to learn, understand and memorize more information) Need to be able to organise it so it is possible to retrieve it Bruner suggests that we learn the basics of culture through schooling and daily interactions whether it is formal or informal

4. Cross-cultural Research on Schooling and Remembering Give an insight into the language and culture of a group Cole and Scribner (1974): investigated memory strategies in different cultures Compared recall of a series of words from children in the US and the Kpelle people of Liberia but used different lists of words after observing everyday cognitive activities to ensure the words were familiar After taking to educated locals the came up with a list The words were split into four categories: utensils, tools, clothing and vegetables

5. Older children only recalled more if they had been schooled for several years Non-schooled children didn’t improve their recall after the age of 10 They remembered about 10 items the first time and after 15 attempts, they only remembered 2 more Schooled Kpelle children learnt just as fast as the US Used the same strategy to recall based on categorical similarity (CHUNKING) – Illiterate children didn’t chunk Kpelle children didn’t appear to rehearse Repeated with the items integrated in a narrative – Illiterate recalled easily through chunking and recalled roles in the story Rogoff and Wadell (1982): found Mayan children recalled objects of meaning related to the local scenery

6. Reliability of One Cognitive Process: Memory Reconstructive nature of memory which is when the brain processes information in an attempt to make sense of the world Sigmund Freud suggested that forgetting was caused by repression when people experience intense emotional events and the brain represses them in an attempt of self-defence False memories can be created to try to protect our brain from remembering what we know

7. Empirical Testing of Reliability of Memory – The War of The Ghosts (Bartlett (1932)) Bartlett used the method of serial reproduction to test memory’s reconstructive nature and the role of culture in schema processing He told the story of a Native American legend to a group of Ps who didn’t know the aim or purpose After 15 minutes he asked them to reproduce it When they entered his laboratory, he asked them to reproduce it a few more times He noticed how memory changed with each reproduction

8. The War of The Ghosts (Bartlett (1932)) Bartlett found that the story was difficult for those from western cultures to reproduce as it contained unfamiliar content He noticed some characteristic changes: – Story became shorter – It remained coherent (suggested that it was because people interpret the story both when they hear it and reproduce it) – Became more conventional (retained only the details that were shared with past experiences and culture of Ps) Suggested that we reconstruct the past by making them fit existing schemas – The more complicated = the more points forgotten

9. Loftus and Palmer (1974) Questioned the reliability of eye witness testimony as questions can be suggestive and facilitate schema processing and influence accuracy of recall AIM: to investigate how information provided after an event influenced the memory of a witness for the event Hypothesised that changed the word in a critical question will influence the accuracy of memory Used 2 laboratory experiments 45 college students as Ps for 1 st part and 150 (2 nd ) 1 st : shown seven 5-30sec clips of traffic accidents and had to fill in a questionnaire about what they had seen Critical question: “About how fast were the cars going when they hit each other?” (changed hit to be smashed, collided, bumped and contacted) – estimated in miles per hour The films were shown in different orders for each condition

10. 2 nd : Ps divided in 3 groups and all watched 1min film on a multiple-car accident. They answered questions about the films (“about how fast…”) – Control group were not asked to estimate the speed – They returned a week later and were asked questions including if they saw any broken glass (yes or no) The video contained NO BROKEN GLASS The results showed that the greater the intensity conveyed by the word, the higher the estimated speed (could be result of demand characteristic) 2 nd : more in the “smashed” group said YES there was broken glass, followed by hit and control Suggesting that leading questions alter the memory of events and lead to distortions Info. is attained through the event and what we learn after the event; if they differ we integrate the 2 sources

11. Strengths, Limitations and Ethical Considerations Strengths Controlled and quantitative data allowed statistical analysis Limitations Low ecological validity (artificial), convenience sample (unrepresentative), close ended questions, no information on driving skills of Ps and the conclusions are reductionist Ethics Lack of informed consent (didn’t know purpose)

12. Yuille and Cutshall (1986) Criticised the lack of ecological validity of Loftus and Palmer’s study Interviewed those who had witnessed a real robbery and found misleading questions DID NOT seem to distort memory The wording seems to have no effect on recall Those that were most distressed had the most accurate memories

13. Use of technology to investigate the relationship between cognitive factors and behaviour PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Can detect tumours or memory disorders due to Alzheimer’s (helped detect signs of Alzheimer’s before the patient knows something is wrong) – reduction in brain metabolism in hippocampus in early stages Alzheimer’s MRI (Magnetic Reasoning Imaging) Detects changes in the use of oxygen in blood; when an area is active, it uses more O₂, can be used to see what areas are active when carrying out cognitive tasks These technologies do not provide us with a cause-and-effect relationship as areas are active without being related to a specific task