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Simple Short Term Memorization. Austin Nelson, Ian Husted, Jeremy Cooper. Introduction. Memory: the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information Differential equation models simple short term memory
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Simple Short Term Memorization Austin Nelson, Ian Husted, Jeremy Cooper
Introduction • Memory: the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information • Differential equation models simple short term memory • Goal: Perform an experiment comparing the ease of memorization of words and numbers
Hypothesis: It will be easier to memorize lists of words, as opposed to lists of numbers • Results: People can memorize lists of words faster than they can memorize lists of numbers
Experiment • 3 different tests, each with 3 test subjects • 3-digit numbers • 5-letter words • 6-letter words • 1 minute study time • Maximum of 10 trials • Order mattered
Mathematical Analysis • Separation of variables
Solving for A • Initial condition: L(0)=0
The k Parameter • lim k -∞ • e term goes to 0 • At any t value, you have 100% of list memorized • The more negative the k value, the faster one can memorized
L = 0.25 and t = 1 k = -.2877
Average k values Subject A Subject B Subject C 5 Letter Words -0.2429 -0.4214 -0.3449 6 Letter Words -0.3750 -0.4514 -0.1893 3 Digit Numbers -0.2061 -0.3479 -0.1109 OVERALL -0.2747 -0.4069 -0.2150
Data doesn’t specifically support our k value interpretation • Subject B has most negative k value, didn’t finish each test first • The k value is most dependent on the number of terms memorized during the first study time period
Limitations To the Model • Not everyone memorizes information in a strictly increasing fashion • People forget • Doesn’t take external factors into account
Conclusions • Our results support our hypothesis • Reasons why the memorization of words is easier than the memorization of numbers • Patterns • WATC WATCH • Relationships • CHALK + BOARD • Rhyming • Usage