85-411/711 Cognitive Processes and Problem Solving Homework #1 Handed out: 8/29/00 Due: 9/5/00 Q1. Run the two memory experiments located on the Mac server (refer to the Cognitive Theories in the Form of Computer Programs handout), and answer the following questions. Copy the archive "memory experiments.sea" to your local hard disk before running the programs. Once it is on your local hard disk, double-click on the file to extract the programs from the archive. Hit 'return' to save the programs. A. Immediate Memory Span. 1. Run the experiment by double-clicking on the file bearing its name. What was the effect of acoustic similarity on the percent of list recalled correctly? 2. Why does this effect occur? That is, what aspect(s) of the cognitive architecture cause this effect? B. Memory for Lists. 1. How and why is the serial position curve different for immediate vs. delayed recall? 2. Why might recall be better for the beginning of the list than the middle? Q2. Load up the EPAM program located on the Mac server (refer to the previous Cognitive Theories... and EPAM handouts). Copy EPAM to your local hard disk before running the program. A. Starting-up EPAM. 1. Load up EPAM by double-clicking on the "EPAM IIIB" application file. 2. You should now have a window entitled "Listener" across the bottom of your screen. B. A simple simulation. 1. Nothing has been entered into the EPAM net yet. Inspect the contents of the network by choosing "Net Contents" in the "Net" menu. The network should have just the root node (N 0) in it. 2. Have EPAM study the word "it" by choosing "Study Word" from the "Net" menu. Now, display the contents of the net again. EPAM has now learned a little bit about visual words. It hasn't learned anything about the particular word "it", though. 3. Study "it" again in the same way. If you display the contents of the net again, you will find that EPAM has stored the letter 'i' from "it". 4. Study "when". You will find that EPAM has added a test to the network to distinguish words that start with 'w' from other words. 5. Study "it" again. This time choose "Net Structure" as well as "Net Contents". This should provide you with more information about the structure of the network. Draw a tree diagram of the network that incorporates the information you obtained from both "display structure" and "display net". 6. What would happen if EPAM tried to recognize the word "IT"? How about the word "its"?