Graduation Term

2024

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Department of Psychology

Committee Chair

Jeffrey JBW Wagman

Abstract

Previous research has shown that people can perceive many geometric and functional properties of a probed surface and the probe itself. They can also perceive these properties across a wide variety of circumstances. Research on the ecological approach to remembering found that people remember a given property of a hefted or wielded object to the extent that they detect the invariant patterns that support perceiving that property. The present study investigated two hypotheses: (1) if perceiving two different properties of that system requires detecting different (but related) invariant patterns in mechanical stimulation, then a person who perceives only one of these properties may be able to remember both such properties, and (2) , if perceiving two different properties requires detecting different (and unrelated) invariant patterns in mechanical stimulation, then a person who perceives one of these properties will only be able to remember that particular property (and will not be able to remember the other property or will not be able to remember it as clearly). The study was conducted in three parts. In the first part, participants were asked to perceive Rod Length by holding a wooden rod in their hand using it to probe a surface; in the second part, they were asked to remember the Rod Length, Rod Heaviness, and Surface Distance, and in the third part participants were asked to perceive the Rod Heaviness and Surface Distance. Three 2x2 ANOVAs were conducted on Rod Length, Rod Heaviness, and Surface Distance. The results supported the first hypothesis- that the participants could remember both Rod Length and Rod Heaviness. However, they were not consistent with the second hypothesis – participants were able to remember Surface Distance. The methodology of the current experiment may have affected our results. KEYWORDS: Person-probe-surface system, ecological psychology, remembering.

Access Type

Thesis-Open Access

DOI

https://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2024.20240827063557858151.999968

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