Study Of Gender Differences In Verbal Working Memory

In his book the physiology of behavior Carlson ( 2005 ) defines larning as the procedure by which experiences change our nervous system and therefore our behaviour, he referred to these alterations as memories. Carlson identified two systems of memory, short term memory and long term memory Short term memory is the system in the encephalon that enables persons to hive away limited sums of information or events for a short period, in other for persons to hive away larger sums of information over an drawn-out period, the 2nd system of memory is required. Long-run memory is viewed as a lasting shop of potentially limitless capacity which shops information in footings of its significance or significance to the person. In kernel the simplest theoretical account of memory procedure suggests that centripetal information enters short term memory, rehearsal keeps it at that place, and finally, the information makes its manner into long term memory, where it is for good stored.

For a figure of old ages research workers have been interested in finding the differences in cognitive abilities between work forces and adult females particularly in the spheres of spacial and verbal abilities ( e.g. De Goede & A ; Postma 2008, Vuontela, Steenari, Carlson, Koivisto, Fjallberg, & A ; Aronen 2003 ) . Evidence from neurophysiological and behavioural informations proposes that the prefrontal cerebral mantle may be sexually differentiated in nonhuman Primatess. Duff and Hampson ( 2001 ) conducted a survey that examined whether there are sex differences in working memory in worlds that might reflect sexual distinction of the human prefrontal cerebral mantle. Working memory is defined as the ability to temporarily hive away and keep information ”on-line ” for a brief period of clip while other cognitive determinations or operations are taking topographic point and the ability to pull strings that information or utilize it to steer action. Male and female participants were administered a fresh multi test spacial working memory undertaking and a verbal on the job memory undertaking. A sum of three Surveies were conducted, analysis of their findings indicated that females took significantly less clip to make each status and made significantly fewer working memory mistakes than males on the Spatial working memory undertaking. It is nevertheless of import to observe that the female advantage was non accounted for by differences in general rational ability, attending, perceptual velocity, incidental memory, or velocity of verbal entree. In the 3rd survey, a sex difference was besides observed on a step of verbal working memory. Their findings indicate that some prefrontal maps may be sexually distinguished in worlds.

Voyer, Postma, Brake & A ; Imperato-McGinley ( 2007 ) conducted a meta-analysis that investigated 123 consequence sizes derived from 36 surveies to quantify the magnitude of gender differences in object location memory undertakings by utilizing a hierarchal attack. They define Object location memory as the cognitive ability that allows persons to remember the locations of and relationships among specific objects, and maps in mundane life. Object location memory Plutos us retrieving where we left certain points ( e.g. , cell phone, IPod, etc. ) and in researching our environment ( e.g. , placing the location of mechanical equipment in the garage ) . Object location memory undertakings normally instruct participants to do determinations about an array of objects each with a specific location ( Lejbak, Vrbancic & A ; Crossley 2009 ) . The research workers conducted the survey by look intoing and analysing object location memory undertakings ( 86 consequence sizes ) and Object individuality memory ( 37 consequence sizes ) individually. One independent variable in the survey is the ex station facto variable of gender. It is defined as male vs. female. Object individuality memory undertaking showed important gender differences that were consistent and in favour of adult females. As For the object location memory undertakings, the consequence sizes had to be separated by age ( below the age of 13, between the ages of 13 and 18, 18 and supra ) , object type ( common, uncommon, gender impersonal, geometric, masculine, feminine ) , hiting method ( truth, clip, distance ) , and type of step ( callback, acknowledgment ) to accomplish homogeneousness. The consequences of the survey revealed a important gender difference in favour of females in all the bunchs above the age of 13, with the exclusion of feminine, uncommon, and gender-neutral objects. Male participants tested significantly in favour of objects and steps of distance.

Lejbak, Vrbancic & A ; Crossley ( 2009 ) conducted a survey to look into if the female advantage in object location memory is robust to verbalizability and manner of presentation of trial stimulation. Their survey encompassed a sum of 40 participants, 20 males and 20 female college pupils. The survey required the participants to execute in two different undertakings ( manual and computing machine generated ) utilizing stimulations that varied in grade of verbalizability. Analysis of the information was conducted utilizing 2A A-A 2A A-A 3 ANOVA with Sex as a between-subjects factor, and Presentation and Stimuli as within-subjects repeated steps revealed a important chief consequence for Sexual activity. Females performed better and made fewer mistakes than males in both undertakings. Their findings were construed within the context of the current literature that demonstrates a female advantage for object location memory.

Research workers have besides geared some of their surveies in an effort to place peculiar encephalon and neurological constructions that facilitate the female advantage on different spacial undertakings. For illustration ; Alexander, Packard and Peterson, ( 2002 ) conducted a survey that examined the Sexual activity and spacial place effects on object location memory following knowing acquisition of object individualities. A sum of 51 participants were used in the survey, 25 females and 26 males utilizing the Silverman and Eals Location Memory Task, which measured memory for object location comparative both to real centre and to eccentricity. A subset of participants ( 17 males and 13 females ) were administered a step of inexplicit acquisition and the mirror-tracing undertaking. The consequences indicated that there were no sex differences were observed in memory for object individualities. In add-on, it was discovered that the memory in both sexes for object locations was better for peripherally located objects than for centrally located objects. In contrast to these findings the writers were surprised to detect an ascertained advantage for females over males in the recovery of object locations in the right compared to the left ocular hemispace. Furthermore, memory for object locations in the right hemispace was associated with mirror-tracing public presentation in adult females but non in work forces. In decision, these informations indicate that the analysis of object designation and object characteristics in the left cerebral hemisphere may besides affect the processing of spacial information that may lend to superior object location memory in females relative to males.

In a survey conducted by Berenbaum, Baxter, Seidenberg, & A ; Hermann ( 1997 ) . The research workers studied the function of the hippocampus in sex differences in verbal memory. The writers examined the nervous and cognitive bases for sex differences in verbal memory in 57 patients who underwent left anterior temporal lobectomy, for the intervention of intractable ictuss. The consequences of the survey led the research workers to reason that adult females recalled more words than work forces both before and after surgery, irrespective of the extent of hippocampal harm. Their consequences besides indicated that the extent of hippocampal induration was related to memory loss in both work forces and adult females. Based on their findings it was besides apparent that adult females were more likely than work forces to utilize semantic constellating both before and after an anterior temporal lobectomy. Given the grounds, the consequences suggest that sex differences in verbal memory are non due to differences in the unity of the left hippocampus.

Vuontela, Steenari, Carlson, Koivisto, Fjallberg & A ; Aronen ( 2003 ) conducted a survey to look into the effects of age and gender on audiospatial and visuospatial working memory. The population was drawn from a sample of school age kids between the ages of 6-13 old ages old and a average age of 9.9 old ages. A sum of 66 school aged kids were used in the survey, twenty four kids between the ages of 6-8 ( 12 males, 12 females ) , Twenty kids between the ages of 9-10 old ages old ( 12 males, 8 females ) and twenty two kids between the ages of 11-13 ( 10 males, 12 females ) . The Participants were required to execute 3 undertakings, the 0-back, 1-back, and 2-back visuospatial and audiospatial undertakings. An analysis of discrepancy for repeated steps ( ANOVA ) was used to analyse the information. Based on this analysis the research workers concluded that auditory and ocular on the job memory public presentation improves with age, proposing functional ripening of underlying cognitive procedures and encephalon countries. The consequences besides steered the writers to reason that the ascertained differences between the mastering of the auditory and ocular working memory undertakings may be due to the ocular working memory system making functional adulthood earlier than the auditory system. On a concluding note the grounds suggested that gender differences found in the public presentation of working memory undertakings was mostly influenced by the degree of immatureness in male childs than misss between the ages of 6-10 old ages old.

The end of this survey is to analyze the gender differences in verbal memory and find if females would execute better than males on verbal memory undertakings.

Method

Participants

All participants, males ( 17 males, Mage = 22.4 old ages, age scope: 19-25 old ages ) and females ( 52 females, Mage = 23.1 old ages, age scope: 20-25 old ages ) were recruited from the California State University Northridge psychological science section. Participants were recruited through departmental attempts which encouraged psychological science pupils to take part in a survey.

Materials and Procedure

On the verbal undertakings, the research workers selected 15 words, derived from Andre Rey Auditory Verbal larning Test ( RAVLT ) which was orally dictated to the participants, after which the participants were asked to remember as many words on the list they could retrieve in any order. This procedure was repeated on the first five tests, which are termed the acquisition tests ( sometimes called List A ) . After the first five tests a new list ( list B ) was read out loud normally referred to as the intervention test, followed by free callback by the participants. Trial seven followed instantly after the callback and required the participants to remember as many words as they could from name A, this callback was conducted without rereading list A to the participants. After a 20 minute hold, test eight was administered in the same mode as test seven ( without reading the list ) . Finally a acknowledgments trial was administered in which 30 words were read aloud and the participants were asked to bespeak whether or non the word was on the list. Participants were non timed for their responses and the entire figure of right words was recorded.

Consequences

This survey was conducted to analyze the gender differences in verbal on the job memory. Analysiss, focal points on participants responses on the Rey Auditory Verbal larning Test. Means for the entire Numberss of words recalled are shown in table 1. The consequences showed that overall, females performed better on verbal memory undertakings ( M=7.92 ; SD=1.939 ) while the males responses recorded was ( M=7.3 ; SD=2.090 ) .

An independent samples t trial on the difference between agencies was statistically important ( T ( 66 ) = 2.075, P = .045 ) . This is grounds that females execute better on verbal undertakings than males.

Discussion

The end of the research was to look into the gender differences in verbal on the job memory. Subsequent research on the subject indicated that females performed better than males on verbal acquisition undertakings. The research workers hypothesized that females would execute better than males on verbal memory undertakings. The research supported the informations as indicated by an independent samples t trial on the difference between agencies which was determined to be statistically important ( T ( 66 ) = 2.075, P = .045 ) . Although the consequence of the research was important there are still several countries that need betterment. A major defect of the survey was the sample size which was unevenly distributed with female participants accounting for 75 per centum of the population size and this uneven distribution could hold had inauspicious effects on the consequences of the survey. Besides the population was non declarative of the overall population as the participants were all college degree pupils. Due to the little population size, randomisation was non come-at-able. Possibly, a 2nd menace to internal cogency was instrumentality.

After analyzing the current survey, future alterations could be made to assist minimise possible menaces and to increase internal cogency. Besides, in the context of the current survey, it is possible that the sample size is excessively little and a larger sum of sample with randomisation may hold created an chance for more accurate important consequences.

Table 1

Participants Features

Gender

Mean

Std. Deviation

Std. Mistake

Mean

Male

7.35

2.090

.507

Female

7.92

1.939

.269

Figure 1. Average difference values ( MS ) stand foring the entire sum of points recalled for marks. Gender differences were found in entire sum of points recalled.

Mentions

Alexander, G. M. , Packard, M. G. , & A ; Peterson, B. S. ( 2002 ) . Sexual activity and spacial Position effects on object location memory following knowing acquisition of object individualities. Neuropsychologia, 40, 1516-1522. Department of the Interior: 10.1016/S0028-3932 ( 01 ) 00215-9

Berenbaum, S.A. , Baxter, L. , Seidenberg, M. , & A ; Hermann, B. ( 1997 ) . Role of the hippocampus in sex differences in verbal memory: Memory result following left anterior temporal lobectomy. Neuropsychology, 11, 585-591. Department of the Interior: 10.1037/0894-4105.11.4.585

Carlson N. , R. , ( 2007 ) . Physiology of behaviour: Learning and Memory. ( pp 431-479 ) Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon

De Goede, M. , & A ; Postma, A. ( 2008 ) . Gender differences in memory for objects and their fifty locations: A survey on automatic versus controlled encryption and retrieval contexts. Brain and Cognition, 66, 232-242. Department of the Interior: 10.1016/j.bandc.2007.08.004

Duff, S. J. , Hampson, E. ( 2001 ) . A sex differences on a fresh spacial working memory undertaking in worlds. Brain and Cognition, 47, 470-493. Department of the Interior: 10.1006/brcg.2001.1326

Lejbak, L. , Vrbancic, M. , & A ; Crossley, M. ( 2009 ) . The female advantage in object location is robust to verbalizability and manner of presentation of trial stimulation. Brain and Cognition, 69, 148-153. Department of the Interior: 10.1016/j.bandc.2008.06.006

Voyer, D. , Postma, A. , Brake, B. , & A ; Imperato-McGinley, J. ( 2007 ) . Gender differences in object location memory: A meta-analysis. Psychonomic Bulletin & A ; Review, 14, 23-38.

Vuontela, V. , Steenari, M.R. , Carlson, S. , Koivisto, J. , Fjallberg, M. , & A ; Aronen, E.T. ( 2003 ) . Audio spacial and visuospatial working memory in 6-13 twelvemonth old school kids.

Learning & A ; Memory, 10, 74-81. Department of the Interior: 10.1101/lm.53503