The magic number 4

Sorry, I'm still unwell but I will be there for our 11:50 am lesson tomorrow.

Have a go at the following short activity. This should help to improve your understanding of the capacity of STM and introduce you to how psychological research is used in the real world. The exam board is keen that students develop their understanding of how psychology is an applied science, it's used in the real world to solve problems and improve what we do on an everyday basis. Some of the questions on the exam will describe real world problems and expect you to use your knowledge of psychology to solve them.

For example:

Mark is learning to drive and has to take the theory test. He has to learn what specific road signs mean.

1. Suggest two strategies Mark can use to help him to remember all the signs and what they mean. (2 marks)

2. Explain why the two strategies you selected will help Mark to pass the driving theory test. (4 marks)

Complete the following tasks:

The exam board expects students to understand the scientific method and how scientific research is conducted and published. It also expects students to understand how psychological research is used to solve problems and help people. The textbook calls this 'Real World Applications'.

On p.6 of the textbook there is an example of how psychological research has helped people to remember digit and letter strings.

Read the blue box on p.6 Real World Applications.

Have a look at the following mobile phone top up voucher code:

3442 5808 1714 4093

Produce short written answers to the following questions:

Q1. Use what you know about research into STM to explain why this digit string (16 numbers) is printed in this way on the voucher.

Read p.6 'Update: The magic number 4 in STM'.

Q2. Explain why mobile phone top up vouchers are printed in four groups of four numbers.

In class we looked at a website that presented letters, numbers, and pictures for a short time and then we had to place them in the correct order as quickly as possible. We found that it was easier to remember in STM numbers and letters than pictures. You can find the website....here

Q3. Re-read p.6: 'Update: The magic number 4 in STM'.

Q4. What did Vogel et al, (2001) find?

Q5. Use the findings of this research to explain our findings in class.

Your Own Little Book of Revision Notes

The first section of the textbook explains how you can use it to help you to learn what you really need to know for the exam: 'How to use this book'. On p.X (10) you are given some good advice: make your own little book of revision notes.

This is another example of how psychological research is used to help people in the real world.

Read p.X.

Start to produce your own little book of revision notes. You could begin by producing a research methods booklet. How about starting with some key terms and examples of research that illustrate those key terms:

Experimental method, Lab experiments, Aims, Hypotheses (directional and non-directional), Independent variables, Dependant variables, Extraneous variables.