Individual differences and the effects of time of day and interference on memory

Author

Keelon L. Hinton

Date of Award

2001

Degree Name

Psychology

College

College of Liberal Arts

Type of Degree

M.A.

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Steven Mewaldt

Second Advisor

Christopher LeGrow

Third Advisor

Stuart Thomas

Fourth Advisor

Leonard J. Deutsch

Abstract

Using the Wickens, Born, Allen (1963) release from proactive interference paradigm, subjects were tested at both a morning and afternoon period in hopes of observing the effects time of day, age, and interference have on working memory. 42 college students and 21 participants over the age of 65 first completed the Horne-Ostberg (1976) questionnaire for morningness-eveningness. While most younger adults were evening and neutral types, the vast majority of older individuals showed a stronger preference for earlier hours of the day. Recall results indicated that recall performance of older participants decreased from morning to afternoon, while recall performance of younger individuals improved over the same period of time. Thus, the synchronizing of an individual’s optimal performance period and testing can be vital in assessing cognitive functions in older and younger individuals.

Subject(s)

Memory.

Memory – Age factors.

Circadian rhythms.

Recommended Citation

Hinton, Keelon L., "Individual differences and the effects of time of day and interference on memory" (2001). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. 1660.
https://mds.marshall.edu/etd/1660