Your Name: Maxwell N.

Nweke
Date: Thursday, October 14, 2021
Memory
Week 05
Number Memorization
Participants
● Participant 1: A male friend, age 30 and interior design contractor
● Participant 2: Female colleague, age 38, Administrative Assistant
● Participant 3: Male colleague, age 45, Institute Instructor
● Participant 4: Male colleague, age 43, Facilities Manager

Procedures
I invited some of my colleagues and a friend during my break period at the office if they would like

to participate in an activity, I would use for my Psychology class, and they all agreed. We met

physically at my office, and I informed them that the activity would require them to try to

memorize a certain group of numbers that would be read out to them, and they would replicate

the numbers in writing on a piece of paper in the correct order it was given to them. I further

explained to them that it was not a test of their knowledge but just a study for short-term

memory. I explained to them that after the exercise, I would take the numbers that they wrote

down and do a report on how people retain short-term memory. I told them that I would not use

their names in the report, but I was going to use their information as shown on the demographics

above.

I did not use any sequence or pattern in selecting the numbers I wrote, this was done randomly, I

just wrote them down as they came to my mind. However, I was very conscious that it required

just single digit numbers. I explained to the participants that I would only write down their

individual number sequence that they were able to remember correctly on my report and

determine if they fall under Miller’s range of seven plus or minus two. The numbers I used were 6,

3, 8, 4, 7, 9, 2, 1, 5, 8, 2, and 5
1
Although, benign deception was not necessary here, I explained to them during the debrief that I

was watching their behavior when calling out the numbers, this was what I used in ascertaining

how or what they use in aiding them to remember.

Results
I was able to gather that all the participants fell under the Miller’s 5-9 range except one of the

participants who exceeded the range and was able to remember all the numbers in their right

sequence. Participant one got the first nine numbers correctly, the second participants got the first

seven number sequence correctly, participant 3 got the first 8 numbers in the correct sequence

while participant 4 replicated all the numbers in their correct sequence.

Table 1
Digits recalled
Participant (P) Digit stream used Digits prior to 1st error Miller’s 5-9 range?
P1 6, 3, 8, 4, 7, 9, 2, 1, 5, 8, 2, 6, 3, 8, 4, 7, 9, 2, 1, 5 Yes
5
P2 6, 3, 8, 4, 7, 9, 2, 1, 5, 8, 2, 6, 3, 8, 4, 7, 9, 2, Yes

5
P3 6, 3, 8, 4, 7, 9, 2, 1, 5, 8, 2, 6, 3, 8, 4, 7, 9, 2, 1 Yes

5
P4 6, 3, 8, 4, 7, 9, 2, 1, 5, 8, 2, 6, 3, 8, 4, 7, 9, 2, 1, 5, 8, 2, No

5 5

Discussion

All the participants but one which was participant 4 who was able to replicate the numbers

sequence in their correct order, fell in Miller’s 5-9 range. I think participant 4 was the least

distracted and he was able to remember the correct sequence because he deals with numbers a lot

as a facilities Manager. From my interactions with him over the years, I have noticed that he is a

very attentive person and seeks out details in everything, I could almost tell that he was going to

2
get all the numbers in their correct order. Participant 1 is also an attentive person as he tried to

take out all distractions, but I had to convince him to give me 10 minutes of his time because he

was just about to leave when I asked him to stay for the exercise, so I think his attention was a bit

divided. Participant 2 seemed like she was writing the numbers in the air, I think that in itself is a

kind of distraction although she was able to get the first 7 numbers in their correct order. I also

think she was feeling a bit exhausted that day. Participant 3 is a teacher and I think teachers are

people with good memory as they must always study, he got the first 8 numbers correctly which

means that he was within the 5-9 range.

There was nothing that could be a distraction in the surrounding because we used my office and I

made sure that I got their attention. Distractions may have probably come from what their minds

were already preoccupied with.

Implications

I saw an evidence of motivation play out with participant 4 as we already had an extensive

conversation about memory and retention. I had started having discussions with him about the

things I have been learning this week without telling him that it is what I have been learning. When

I called him to participate, he was excited, and it was until we were through with the exercise and

after the debriefing that he was able to connect my discussions with him earlier this week. I feel

an eagerness to try out something serves as motivation to perform better. Although all other

participants fell under the 5-9 range, I feel they were a bit distracted, but they would have been

able to remember more of the numbers if they were fully involved mentally in the whole process.

It is important that when learning new things, you have the intention to want to remember and

understand. Attention to details play a major role in helping any learning grasp and understand for

it to make sense. A learner has to be sure that after a while, you try to make meaning of all you

3
have been either reading or hearing, that way they would know whether they have understood or

not.

Peer Feedback

I corrected the text formatting on the result section to align with other parts of the report and

made some language corrections.