Depth Of Processing Model
There have been many experiments done on depth of processing and the
self
reference effect. The Depth of Processing model of memory maintains that
how
deep something is encoded into a person's memory depends on using certain
types
of processing. This relates to the self reference effect because it is
believed
that people have the tendency to remember something better when they
can relate
it to themselves. People who can personally relate to something
have the
tendency to embed it deeper into their memory. Craik and Tulving did
a series of
experiments on the depth of processing model. They had
participants use a series
of processing methods to encode words at different
levels; shallow, moderate,
and deep. The subjects were shown a series of
words and ask questions about the
words that would provide a "yes" or "no"
response. At the
shallow level they were asked questions about whether or not
the word was
written in capital letters. At the moderate level of processing,
the subject was
asked questions as to whether or not two words rhymed.
Finally, the subjects
were asked about words in sentences and whether or not
they fit. This was the
deep level of processing. After participants had
completed the task they were
then given a surprise recognition test with the
words that they were just asked
questions on (target words) and then words
that they have never seen before
(distraction words). The results of the
experiment showed that people remembered
the words better that were at deeper
level of processing (Craik and Tulving
1975). Although there was some
criticisms about the above experiment, Craik and
Tulving performed more
experiments each time refining the D.O.P. model. There
were thoughts that the
structural tasks were easier and not as much time had to
be spent on them
therefore people did not have as long to look at those words
and could not
study them like the other tasks. Craik and Tulving then made the
structural
task take equally as long as the other tasks. The results remand the
same as
the previous experiments. Craik and Tulving also originally started with
five
tasks, but then narrowed it down to three to avoid a ceiling effect.
The
self-referent task was later added to model by Rogers. Palmere, Benton,
Glover,
and Ronning (1983) did a series of experiments continuing the
research on the
depth of processing model. They used paragraphs and within
the paragraph there
were sentences that were supported and then ones that
were not. After the
subjects were through reading all the paragraphs, they
were then given a
recognition test on the information in the paragraph. The
results of this
experiment showed that the subjects remember more information
about the
sentences which were supported with other information rather the
ones that stand
alone. This supports to the depth of processing because
according to this
experiment people remember information that had more detail
which would require
more thinking which would in turn encode the information
at a much deeper level.
The deeper information is encode people are more
likely able to recall the
information. Another experiment was done by Bower
and Karlin (1974) which tested
the depth of processing model on memory fue
faces. They used college student
pictures out yearbooks that were put onto
slides. They then showed the slide to
the subjects who were asked questions.
The subjects were then ask to look at a
serious of slides and asked whether
or not that person had appeared in the
original group of slides shown. The
results of this experiment showed that when
a person had a more detailed
response about a person, the subject was more
inclined to remember that
person from the original group. This relates back to
the Depth of Processing
model because it showing by using more detail,
information can be processed
more deeply.