When a memory is created, it has to be stored, regardless of how briefly this would take place. Experts have established three forms of memory storage: first in the sensory stage, then in the short-term memory, and finally, in the long-term memory, even though the latter does not apply to all memories (Georg 2010). In the sensory memory, the person registers information and perception occurs at this stage. It takes minimal time in this memory. The sensory memory then encodes the information and categorizes them as either short or long-term memory.
The scenario
Tom, who has just moved into a new apartment, following his transfer from his previous school arrives home earlier than usual on a Thursday afternoon. He notices a face that seems familiar, but cannot exactly locate who the person could be. In a second thought and after working his brain, he recalls the person he has seen could be Mercy, his childhood neighbor, whom left after her parents moved due to transfer too. He is not very sure of the conclusion he had arrived at and decides to call her by name. She responds in a cold manner that scares away Tom’s interest in confirming his previous thoughts. Shortly after, she acts as if she might have known him before and asks, “Have we ever met before? Could Tom be your name?” Tom confirms to her that they were neighbors in their childhood and just relocated to his new apartment, which happens to be owned by Mercy’s parents.
Research question
The main question in the above scenario is the question that, have Tom and Mercy met before their meeting on the latter day? As earlier mentioned, there is a process in which information is encoded from one memory to the next: from the sensory to the short term and eventually to long-term memory. In this scenario, Tom sees Mercy, several years after they last departed from each other. By seeing her, his sensory memory registers the information and perceives it in terms of the duration with which they last saw each other. After realizing that they had never known each other in the recent past, the short-term memory transfers this information to the long-term memory, which stores information over very long periods. He then realizes that they had known each other before and she remembers him.
The hypothesis
Tom cannot remember Mercy at the first sight. The hypothesis in this scenario is that Tom and Mercy knew each other prior to their present coincidental meeting. Even before it is established, Tom supposes that he might have known her previously even though he cannot figure out the exact place they previously met. Mercy on the other side upon hearing Tom call her by name is surprised and does not give a warm welcome to him. However, after a second thought, she realizes that they might have been familiar to each other prior to their present meeting around Tom’s new apartments. This hypothesis is not confirmed until they involve in a piece of conversation of introduction, where the hypothesis materializes to be the reality.
Population of the participants
In my research, I did not inform my participants that I was conducting a research on them prior to the occurrence of the above scenario. However, after they had finished their conversation and introductions, I informed them that I intended to use their occurrence in my research. This happed because I did not expect it to happen at the time and in the manner that it did, even though it served the best interest of my research question. The composition of the participants in my research were Tom, who is my friend and on his way from work, he passed by my place so that I could walk him home, where he meets Mercy, who is my other participant. I did not have to choose from any demographic factors while selecting my participants.
What are the independent variables?
With regard to this scenario, the independent variable is Mercy. Whether Tom remembers or fails to remember her, she would not change in any way. Suppose when Tom decided to make a move and call her by name, then he finds out that she was not Mercy and just a random woman, it would not change her person; she would still be the same woman in front of him, even though he would have missed her identity. The other independent variable is Mercy’s meeting with Tom. The meeting had already occurred and had nothing to affect in their knowing each other. Even if they were unfamiliar, they coincidentally met while each one of them was in their usual business, independent of the other. Whether they knew or never knew each other previously, they would still meet because they are in the same locality.
The dependent variable.
This scenario has Tom and Mercy’s familiarity as the dependent variable. If they had not known each other previously, or had they have known each other prior to their present to their present meeting, but failed to recognize each other, there could have been no communication between the two of them (Wayne, Dana and Yost 2010). Even if they had met, they would just pass each other just as they pass people that they meet on the streets. However, the fact that they know each other makes them stop and recall their identities.
What I did to carry out the research experiment
As earlier mentioned, the experiment in this research took place without my expectation, even though I took it up immediately. Nevertheless, if I were to carry it out by myself. It should be noted that Tom, Mercy and I lived in the same neighborhood as kids. After identifying, that Tom had moved to the area close to Mercy, and having known both of them from childhood. I would take Tom and walk him around with the aim of making him meet Mercy or organize for a surprise meeting of the three of us and allow the time to introduce themselves to each other and try if they could remember each other. In case they fail to remember each other, since it has been quite a while since they last met, I would remind them of their childhood days together. I am sure this would eventually remind them since every person has a long memory.
Limitations to the experiment
The experiment that I carried has limited challenges. However, just as any other research, limitations are always present. Mercy at first proved stubborn since she was not sure for whet reasons a stranger would call her. She would have otherwise assumed the call if not for our persuasions (Bernardo 2009). She felt very offended at first though this turned to work out when she understood our purpose (McGuigan 2010).
What future researchers ought to do while conducting such experiments?
Meeting people in the streets or along estate corridors and having to converse with them without their interpretation as privacy invasion is a major concern. Therefore, future researchers need to book appointments with people in order to make experiments with them and not wait to meet them in this manner.
Reference:
Georg M. (2010). Time Series Analysis of Long Memory Versus Structural Breaks: A Time-Varying Memory Approach: Saarbrücken: VDM Publishing
Bernardo J. (2009). The Psychology of Personality: Viewpoints, Research, and Applications. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
McGuigan F. J. (2010). Experimental Psychology: Methods of Research. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Wayne W. Dana S. and Yost H. (2010). Psychology Applied to Modern Life: Adjustment in the 21st Century. Stamford, Connecticut: Cengage Learning.
