Garden College

SACE School Number: 409

Stage 2 – Psychology, 2021

Investigations Folio
Group Investigation

SACE Number: 936820X Grade:

Students undertake one group investigation in which they demonstrate an understanding of

ethical practices, present data in graphs or tables, analyse data and draw conclusions, as well
as evaluating the investigation.

Research Question: Your Research Question is: “What is the effect of musical training on
the recall of nursery rhyme lyrics of Step Size 5 across all Start Points?”

The group investigation comprises of three stages:

1. Proposal development
2. Data analysis
3. Report writing

Word count (Proposal): 250 words; Word count (Report): 1500 words

Proposal Draft due for Approval: Monday Week 4 @ 10:00AM

Report Draft due: Tuesday Week 6 @ 1:00PM
Final copy due: 5 days after receiving draft feedback
What is the effect of musical training on the recall of nursery rhyme lyrics of step size 5 across all start points?
Investigation
A Develops logical, coherent, and detailed
psychology investigation proposals.
Critically and logically selects and
consistently and appropriately
acknowledges information about
psychology and issues in psychology
from a range of sources.
Clearly understands and consistently
uses well-organised, ethical research
practices.
Obtains, records, and displays findings of
investigations using appropriate
conventions and formats accurately and
highly effectively.
Develops well-considered and clear
B psychology investigation proposals.
Logically selects and appropriately
acknowledges information about
psychology and issues in psychology
from different sources.
Understands and consistently uses
ethical research practices.
Obtains, records, and displays findings of
investigations using appropriate
conventions and formats mostly
accurately and effectively.
Develops considered and generally clear
C psychology investigation proposals.
Selects with some focus, and mostly
appropriately acknowledges, information
about psychology and issues in
psychology from different sources.
Generally understands and uses ethical
research practices.
Obtains, records, and displays findings of
investigations using generally appropriate
conventions and formats with some
errors but generally accurately and
effectively.
Prepares the outline of a psychology
D investigation proposal.
Selects and may partly acknowledge one
or more sources of information about
psychology or an issue in psychology.
Identifies and attempts to use some
ethical research practices.
Obtains, records, and displays findings of
investigations using conventions and
formats inconsistently, with occasional
accuracy and effectiveness.
Identifies a simple psychology
E investigation proposal.
Identifies a source of information about
psychology or an issue in psychology.
Pays limited attention to ethical research
practices.
Attempts to record and display some
descriptive information about an
investigation, with limited accuracy or
effectiveness.
Analysis and
Evaluation
Uses perceptive and thorough
analytical skills to examine the
behaviour of individuals and
groups of people in different
contexts.
Logically evaluates procedures
and suggests a range of
appropriate improvements.
Systematically analyses and
evaluates psychological
evidence to formulate logical
and highly relevant
conclusions.
Uses clear and well-organised
analytical skills to examine the
behaviour of individuals and
groups of people in different
contexts.
Evaluates procedures and
suggests some appropriate
improvements.
Uses mostly logical analysis
and evaluation of
psychological evidence to
formulate consistent and
relevant conclusions.
Uses generally organised
analytical skills to examine the
behaviour of individuals and
groups of people in different
contexts.
Evaluates some procedures in
psychology and suggests
some improvements that are
generally appropriate.
Analyses and evaluates
psychological evidence to
formulate simple and generally
relevant conclusions.
Describes basic behaviour of
individuals and groups of
people in different contexts.
For some procedures,
identifies improvements that
may be made.
Attempts to extract meaning
from psychological evidence
and to formulate a simple
conclusion that may be
relevant.
Acknowledges that individuals
and groups of people may
behave differently in different
contexts.
Acknowledges the need for
improvements in one or more
procedures.
Attempts to organise some
limited evidence.
Application
Applies psychological
concepts and evidence from
investigations to suggest
solutions to complex
problems in new and familiar
contexts.
Uses appropriate
psychological terms highly
effectively.
Demonstrates initiative in
applying constructive and
focused approaches to
individual and collaborative
work.
Applies psychological
concepts and evidence from
investigations to suggest
solutions to problems in new
and familiar contexts.
Uses appropriate
psychological terms
effectively.
Applies mostly constructive
and focused approaches to
individual and collaborative
work.
Applies psychological
concepts and evidence from
investigations to suggest
some solutions to basic
problems in new or familiar
contexts.
Uses generally appropriate
psychological terms with
some general effectiveness.
Applies generally constructive
approaches to individual and
collaborative work.
Applies some evidence to
describe some basic
problems and identify one or
more simple solutions, in
familiar contexts.
Attempts to use some
psychological terms that may
be appropriate.
Attempts individual work
inconsistently and contributes
superficially to aspects of
collaborative work.
Identifies a basic problem
and attempts to identify a
solution in a familiar context.
Uses some psychological
terms.
Shows emerging skills in
individual and collaborative
work.
Knowledge and
Understanding
Consistently demonstrates a
deep and broad knowledge and
understanding of a range of
psychological concepts and
ethical considerations.
Uses knowledge of psychology
perceptively and logically to
understand and explain
behaviours.
Uses a variety of formats to
communicate knowledge and
understanding of psychology in
different contexts coherently
and highly effectively.
Demonstrates some depth and
breadth of knowledge and
understanding of a range of
psychological concepts and
ethical considerations.
Uses knowledge of psychology
logically to understand and
explain behaviours.
Uses a variety of formats to
communicate knowledge and
understanding of psychology in
different contexts coherently
and effectively.
Demonstrates knowledge and
understanding of a general
range of psychological concepts
and ethical considerations.
Uses knowledge of psychology
with some logic to understand
and explain behaviours.
Uses a variety of formats to
communicate knowledge and
understanding of psychology in
different contexts with some
general effectiveness.
Demonstrates some basic
knowledge and partial
understanding of psychological
concepts and ethical
considerations.
Identifies and explains some
psychological information that is
relevant to understanding and
explaining behaviours.
Communicates basic
information about psychology to
others using one or more
formats.
Demonstrates some limited
recognition and awareness of
psychological concepts and
ethical considerations.
Shows an emerging
understanding that some
psychological information is
relevant to explaining
behaviours.
Attempts to communicate
information about psychology.
What is the effect of musical training on the recall of nursery rhyme lyrics of step size 5 across all start points?
What is the effect of musical training on the recall of nursery rhyme lyrics of step size 5 across all start points?
Proposal

Learning is a shift in human disposition that occurs over a time and is not necessarily due to growth processes (Malamed,
2016). Chunking refers to the process of taking chunks of information and grouping them into substantial categories, in
order to improve the efficacy of learning. For example, a phone number sequence of 5-6-7-9-4-2-8 would be chunked
into 567-9428 (Cherry, 2019a). The aim of this task is to determine whether musical training influences the reaction
time of recalling nursery rhyme lyrics of Step Size 5 across all Start Points. It is hypothesised that:

“Participants who are musically trained will have a faster reaction time in recalling the lyrics of nursery rhymes of step
size 5 across all start points than musically untrained participants.”

This investigation will be conducted using a quantitative observational investigation design because of the pre-existing
groups: “musically trained” and “musically un-trained”. The data collected will be objective quantitative. The sample
will consist of Twenty-six Stage II (SACE) Psychology students from Garden College, 17 females and 9 males, between
the ages of 15 and 17. Participants aged 16 and above will sign a consent form, whereas those below the age of 16
require parental consent. In pairs of two, participants will use a computer that presents lyrics from different Start Points
in the nursery rhyme and will then have to recite the following lyric. A participant will sing the lyrics required, while
another will record the time it takes on a stopwatch. Participants will then switch roles. A mean score will be calculated
to compare the reaction time of MTP and MUTP. The data will be used to create a bar graph to compare mean Reaction
Times of MTP and MUTP at Step Size 5 across all Start Points.

Word count: 291

MTP - Musically Trained Participants

MUTP - Musically Un-trained Participants

SP - Start Point (1,3,5)

What is the effect of musical training on the recall of nursery rhyme lyrics of step size 5 across all start points?

Introduction

Learning is generally defined as a relatively permanent change in behaviour as a result of experience (Cherry, 2019b).
In relation to learning, chunking is an active learning technique; defined as cognitive processing that recodes information
into substantial categories, in order to improve the efficacy of learning (Fountain and Doyle, 2012). For example,
Birthdays are not typically recalled by 26032004, but rather 26/03/2004. This investigation was conducted to determine
whether musical training influences the reaction time of recalling nursery rhyme lyrics of Step Size 5 across all Start
Points. A study published by the National Academy of Sciences in 2015 demonstrated that the degree of phonological
awareness improvement was higher in the group who has undergone musical training than the group who has not
(Flaugnacco et al., 2015). It was hypothesised that: “Participants who are musically trained will have a faster reaction
time in recalling the lyrics of nursery rhymes of step size 5 across all start points than musically un-trained participants.”

Quantitative, objective data was collected by using a stopwatch to calculate the reaction time of participants across all
start points. Quantitative observational investigation design was analysed by a comparison of mean scores to perceive
whether MTP were faster at recalling nursery rhymes than MUTP. The data assembled was succinctly presented through
a bar graph that demonstrates the disparities between the mean scores of the MTP and MUTP. The raw data exhibits
the presence of two outliers at SP 5 in MUTP, 12.35 secs and 8.575 secs. The sample consisted of 26 Stage 2 (SACE)
Psychology students from Garden College, aged 15-17, with all participants following the same religion, receiving the
same educational attainment, and participants being exposed to similar socio-economic statuses.

Results

Figure 1. displays a numerical comparison of the mean reaction time of Musically Trained and Musically Un-trained
Participants. MTP attained the mean reaction scores (SP1 = 1.26, SP3 = 1.61, SP5 = 2.04); while MUTP attained the scores
of (SP1 = 1.6, SP3=1.99, SP5 = 3.17).
What is the effect of musical training on the recall of nursery rhyme lyrics of step size 5 across all start points?

Discussion

According to the data obtained, it is suggested that musically trained participants are more proficient at recalling nursery
rhyme lyrics than musically un-trained participants. Despite that both groups took longer to recall nursery rhyme lyrics
present in SP 5 (see Figure 1) (MTP: SP1 = 1.26, SP3 = 1.61, SP5 = 2.04) (MUTP: SP1 = 1.6, SP3=1.99, SP5 = 3.17). The
mean reaction score of musically trained participants was 1.63 secs, while the mean score of their un-trained
counterparts was 2.25 secs. The average difference in reaction time between groups was 1.94 seconds, displaying a
clear significant difference between the two groups. This proposes that the independent variable, i.e., musical training,
greatly impacts the recollection of nursery rhyme lyrics. This may be due to musical training improving phonological
awareness as the 2015 study by the National Academy of Sciences suggested (Flaugnacco et al., 2015). Hence why, it
can be inferred from both sources (2015 study and data above) that the previously proposed hypothesis “Participants
who are musically trained will have a faster reaction time in recalling the lyrics of nursery rhymes of step size 5 across
all start points than musically untrained participants” was supported.

The target population of this investigation was broadened to all Stage 2 (SACE) Psychology students from across the
globe, however, the sample selected is unrepresentative of the population and cannot be generalised to the target
population. This is due to numerous factors, beginning with the small sample size, with only twenty-six participants
partaking to represent the population. Research has indicated that in order for a sample to represent the population, a
minimum of 50 participants are required (Martínez-Mesa et al., 2014). Another factor affecting the external validity of
the sample is the imbalanced gender ratio, since the study contains 17 females and 9 males. The sample furthermore
did not accurately represent the population as it includes a minimal assortment of culture anomalies, since the
participants all follow the same religion, receive the same educational attainment and are exposed to similar
socioeconomic statuses. The quantitative observational design used was low in measuring external validity, since the
results cannot be generalised beyond the immediate study and is not comprehensively accessible to the broader
community. Factors that influence external validity include the inadequate sample size and unrepresentativeness due
to recurring similarities between participants and selection biases (i.e., gender disproportions and age limitations).

The quantitative observational design used was mainly satisfactory in the measure of internal validity due to the
methods employed. Participants were grouped in pairs of two to complete a reaction time PowerPoint, where they
measure their recall time on various nursery rhyme lyrics through a PowerPoint displaying start points, and a stopwatch
to measure their reaction. Participants took turns in recording their partners results, which pre-exposed a member to
both the Power Point and the results of their partner. This greatly impacts the data of the investigation, as it gives the
timekeeper an advantage in recalling the nursery rhyme lyrics prior to their trial. To some extent, the stopwatch used
to test reaction time was effective in its aim of measuring an individual's ability to recall nursery rhymes. Participants
might have been too slow or too quick in stopping the watch because they had to do it manually, resulting in inaccurate
times recorded and impacting the results. The mean average scores utilised for analysis were inappropriate, as two
outliers were present at SP 5 in MUTP (12.35 secs and 8.575 secs) negatively skewing the results.

The design utilised (quantitative observational investigation) cannot be replicated since the same situation will not
naturally occur again. The investigation cannot be considered reliable since it was not replicated. This design was
considered disadvantageous as the observer must have attempted to control biases, which may have heavily influenced
what they observed, recorded, and interpreted. Furthermore, the method applied was unreliable since the musically
trained group contained 6 participants; while the musically un-trained group contained 20, causing a significant
imbalance in ratio of participants data. Moreover, the sample was exceptionally small to be deliberated as reliable.

Advantages of the investigation design was the use of pre-existing groups, since it eliminates the need for deliberate
manipulation, and the data was obtained in "real world" conditions, ensuring that the findings are applicable to the real
world, therefore enriching external validity. Furthermore, quantitative data presented the variables in numerical and
statistical forms, allowing a simple comparison of mean scores to occur. Another advantage was that students above
What is the effect of musical training on the recall of nursery rhyme lyrics of step size 5 across all start points?
the age of 16 were permitted to give consent by signing a form, however those below 16 required parental consent in
order to participate. Some weaknesses include a selection of students being absent, ultimately affecting participant
availability. Another weakness were participants not reciting in accordance with researcher directions. Some
participants didn’t memorise the selected nursery rhymes, this resulted in them taking longer to recite the lyrics,
eventually impacting the results by causing outliers. An aspect disregarded was the time and place that the investigation
took place; since participants may have been drained by the afternoon, causing their memory to be faint, and the
location (classroom) may have been too loud and distractive, since other participants conducted the experiment in the
same room. Another weakness is that delays might’ve occurred by the timer since it was not automated.

Several improvements could be applied to this investigation to increase validity and reliability, this includes selecting a
different time and location for the experiment to occur in, preferably early morning when individuals are more woke,
and a confined quiet location would be most suitable to avoid distractions. A larger sample from different locations and
an equal quantity of participants and gender ratio to avoid bias. An automatic timer in PowerPoint so pairs are not
required; this will create a more reliable study, ensuring all participants will be unfamiliar with the PowerPoint,
presenting the researcher with accurate data.

Ethical procedures were implemented to avoid potential hazards to those participating. Confidentiality was assured
throughout this study by designating an identification code to each participant to keep their responses anonymous,
however this was done unethically, where researcher yelled out each participant’s code, instead of privately sharing it
with them, exposing their ID to others. Informed consent was applied, were participants aged 16 signed a consent form,
and those below the age of 16 required parental consent. Nevertheless, participants were informed of their rights to
withdraw from the study whenever, releasing themselves from the contract concluded without providing any reason.
However, due to the experimenter being the teacher, students may have felt obliged to participate to maintain excellent
grades. For future studies, this ethical concern may be rectified by notifying participants that refusing to participate in
the research would have no impact on their overall grade for the subject.

Determined by the findings of this study, it can be concluded that pre-exposure to musical training increases an
individual’s ability to recall nursery rhyme lyrics. The data obtained from this study supports the suggested hypothesis,
as musically trained participants were revealed to be speedier in recalling lyrics of step size 5 in comparison to their un-
trained counterparts. Although the investigation was generally beneficial, the results cannot be generalised to the entire
population of research interest due to the overall insufficiency in validity and reliability. Possible suggestions of
improvements for future studies include a significantly larger sample, an equal selection of participants and an unbiased
gender ratio. This will ensure the sample is representative and applicable to the target population, consequently
increasing the validity and reliability of the investigation. If replicated, the results presented in this investigation may be
useful in educational institutions, especially for schools or organizations working to improve their students' cognitive
skills through the rehearsal of music.

Word count: 1611

What is the effect of musical training on the recall of nursery rhyme lyrics of step size 5 across all start points?

Works Cited

Cherry, K. (2019a). How the Chunking Technique Can Help Improve Your Memory. [online] Verywell Mind. Available at:
https://www.verywellmind.com/chunking-how-can-this-technique-improve-your-memory-2794969

Cherry, K. (2019b). The Psychology of Learning. [online] Verywell Mind. Available at:
https://www.verywellmind.com/learning-study-guide-2795698

Flaugnacco, E., Lopez, L., Terribili, C., Montico, M., Zoia, S. and Schön, D. (2015). Music Training Increases Phonological
Awareness and Reading Skills in Developmental Dyslexia: A Randomized Control Trial. PLOS ONE, 10(9), p.e0138715

Malamed, C. (2016). 10 Definitions of Learning. [online] The eLearning Coach. Available at:
https://theelearningcoach.com/learning/10-definitions-learning/

Martínez-Mesa, J., González-Chica, D.A., Bastos, J.L., Bonamigo, R.R. and Duquia, R.P. (2014). Sample size: how many
participants do I need in my research? Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia, [online] 89(4), pp.609–615. Available at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4148275/pdf/abd-89-04-0609.pdf