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Week 4 - Retention

This week the class was given the assignment to complete 3 different memory tests and report results in order to explore the abilities of our brains.

1) The first test I decided to take was the Face Memory Game - 2. It was a relatively short test that had 10 changing parts of a cartoon face that would flip by randomly until the user froze the frame. I have attached the original face vs the one that I had to use my memory to "recreate." As you can see, I only missed two portions (the right eye and the chin), which means my facial memory is pretty adequate. With one trial, obviously, this test isn't as reliable. So I did the test 3 times in total and I got the results of (8/10, 9/10, and 7/10), which would average out to 8/10 (the result I got the first time). Knowing this, the test is reliable because I received similar results even after doing the test multiple more times. The test is valid because it measures how well I can memorize facial features, which is the purpose of a "face memory game."
Original (left) vs Mine (right)
 http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/java/facemem2.html

2) The next test I did was the Picture Short-Term Memory Test. This test basically flashed a bunch of pictures for 30 seconds and told me to write as many as I could remember after that time was up. There was a total of 20 everyday objects such as an airplane, lock, and guitar. I ended up remembering 18 of the objects, only forgetting the hammer and the globe. This test is valid because it does measure how well I can remember certain images after only seeing them for 30 minutes.
These were the objects that showed up for me...
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/puzmatch3.html

3) The third test I did was the Famous Faces test where they showed me a series of 30 faces and asked me to type in the name of the person I thought it was. These pictures were images of celebrities and well-known people like John F. Kennedy, Paul McCartney, and Elvis Presley. I ended up getting 26/30 and missed a few like Princess Diana and a few because I knew the person but couldn't spell their name or only remember their first names (like Robin Williams - oops probably should've known that one). This test seems valid because it did test me on famous faces that I've seen on TV, in school presentations, and just surfing the internet. 

The faces shown were all cropped to not have hair and it was pretty creepy... honestly. 
http://www.faceblind.org/facetests/ff/ff.php

Thanks for joining me on a journey into my memory. 

Ryan


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