Manual

Manual
Paper VIII
Practicals in Cognitive Processes and Psychological
Testing
for
TYBA
Six Papers in Psychology
2020-21 to 2024-25
Contribution from
Dr. Neeta Tatke

Dr. Neeta Mehta
Dr. Radhika Mohan
Ms. Aarohi Khar
Ms. Shama Todurkar
Dr. Pooja Joshi
Ms. Ruta Patwardhan
Ms. Madhura Londhe
2
PREFACE
T.Y.B.A. lays a solid foundation for the students of Psychology. Amongst the various papers, this
paper – Practicals in Cognitive Processes and Psychological Testing, has a more applied and hands-
on approach compared to the more theoretical content of other papers. This paper aims to
provide the students a glimpse of what researchers and practitioners in the field do and introduce
them to the rigor and discipline that make Psychology a science. It also aims to build skills like
rapport building, questioning, observing and collecting, analyzing and interpreting data.
This manual aims to familiarize students with conducting experiments, administering tests and
giving feedback to participants. It would also help students understand the process of research
through various exercises on identifying variables, designing experiments/research situations, and
reviewing a research paper. The manual also provides guidance for reporting the results of
statistical tests, interpreting findings and writing report in the APA format. This manual will help
students understand the structure of experiments, steps of administrating psychological tests and
writing report of the same. This manual will help in bringing about uniformity in the entire process
of conducting experiments across the colleges.
We would like to thank Dr. Aninha Lobo and Dr. Nandini Diwan who have been authoring the
laboratory manual and workbook since 1996. These Manuals and Workbooks ensured uniformity
in preparing the material and the entire process of conducting an experiment. It also later helped
in giving a structure to the examination process. The checklists of experiments prepared by them
helped in making evaluation of students uniform and objective. The framework provided by their
writing has been a support for the current manual. We acknowledge the importance of their
contribution and are immensely grateful for the same.
We hope the manual serves as a good starting point for students and a guide for teachers in
understanding the process of practicals in Psychology.
Dr. Neeta Tatke Dr. Radhika Mohan
;
3
Index
Sn Content Page No.
1 Preface 2
2 Syllabus 4-6
Semester V
A. Introduction to Experimental Psychology and Statistics in 7
Psychological Research
1 Variables – Types, Operational definition 7
2 Designs – Types (one IV and two IV), Sampling, Randomization and 7
Counterbalancing
3 Hypotheses – Types – Null and Alternative 7
4 Statistical Analysis –Inferential statistics - t test, F Test, statistical 7
significance
5 Scales of Measurement - Introduction and Exercises 8 - 10
6 Report writing – APA format 11
B Practice Exercises – Two exercises 12
1 Experimental Situation given – Effect of Exercise on Immune Functioning 12
2 Variables given – Consumption of food (Nutritious vs Junk) on aggressive 12
behaviour in middle childhood
C Practice Experiment – Anchoring and Adjustment Effect 13 - 14
D Two Experiments in Cognitive Processes 15 - 38
1 The Automatic Vigilance Experiment 15 - 24
The Automatic Vigilance Experiment – Checklists 25 - 26
2 False memory using the Roediger and McDermott paradigm 27 - 34
False memory using the Roediger and McDermott paradigm - Checklists 35 - 38
E One Psychological Test 39 - 51
Administration of Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and Oxford Happiness 39 - 51
Questionnaire and Calculations of Reliability and Validity Coefficients
4
Paper VIII: Practicals in Cognitive Processes and Psychological Testing
Code Sem Course Title Credits Marks

UAPS505 5 Practicals in Cognitive processes and psychological Testing: Part I 4 100
UAPS605 6 Practicals in Cognitive processes and psychological Testing : Part II 4 100
Learning Objectives-
To facilitate the understanding of theoretical concepts of experimental psychology through
experiential learning, learn the processes involved in scientific inquiry, develop critical approach and
understand use of statistical analysis in psychological research by
a) Introducing the students to Practicals in Cognitive Processes and Psychological Testing: through
practice and conduct of experiments, use of statistical analysis, interpretation and discussion of
data, using APA format for report writing.
b) Introducing the students to Psychological Testing: administration, scoring and interpretation of
the psychological tests, understanding the concepts of reliability and validity and nuances of
procedures and ethical issues.
c) Orienting the students to computer-based experiments (Coglab) and sensitize them to
methodological issues, strengths and limitations of use of computers for conducting
experiments in psychology.
d) Helping students develop skills for evaluation of a research paper and write a research report.
Semester 5
Part I: Practicals in Cognitive Processes and Psychological Testing (Credits =4) (6 lectures
per week per Batch of 8 students)
A. Introduction to Experimental Psychology and Statistics in Psychological Research
1. Variables – Types, Operational definition
2. Designs – Types (one IV and two IV), Sampling, Randomization and Counterbalancing
3. Hypotheses – Types – Null and Alternative
4. Statistical Analysis –Inferential statistics - t test, F Test, statistical significance
5. Introduction to Scales of Measurement
6. Report writing – APA format
B. Practice Exercises – Two exercises
1. Experimental Situation given – Discuss design, hypothesis, IV, DV, Control Variables,
Statistical Analysis, Ethical Issues.
2. Variables given – Design experiment, frame hypothesis, discuss Statistical Analysis,
Ethical Issues.
C. Practice Experiment – One
1. Conduct the experiment
2. Review Original Article
3. Write result and discussion of group data using APA format
D. Two Experiments in Cognitive Processes
1. Conduct the experiments
2. Pool group data
3. Use appropriate statistics
4. Write report – abstract, introduction, method, result (Individual and group), discussion,
conclusion
5
E. One Psychological Test

1. Administration, Scoring and Interpretation of the Test
2. Writing report on the findings of the test
3. Calculate Reliability / Validity of the test
Part II: Practicals in Cognitive Processes and Psychological Testing (Credits =4) (6 lectures per
week per Batch of 8 students)

1 Designs - Complex (Mixed)
2. Statistical Analysis – Inferential statistics – ANOVA, Chi Square
B. Review a research paper
C. Two Experiments in Cognitive Processes
2. Pool group data
conclusion
D. One Psychological Test
1. Conducting and debriefing
2. Write report
E. One Computer-based Experiment (Coglab)
F. Use of Excel
1. Introduction to Excel
2. Statistical Analysis of both the experiments
Learning Outcomes –
After studying this paper, students will able to…
1. Translate theoretical concepts into application-based experiments.
2. Conduct experiments following standardized procedure.
3. Apply statistical tests and analyze the data collected.
4. Write reports on research conducted using APA format.
5. Make sense of the research papers on any given topic
Distribution of Marks
Internal 40 marks Practical examination of 2 hours 60 marks
Distribution of Marks
Internal marks
1 Checklist for Instructions 10
2 Checklist for Conduct 10
3 Report Writing 10
4 Attendance 05
5 Journal 05
Examination Practical
Instructions, Conduct, report 40
Viva 20
6
The teacher has to give marks for each report. The final marks will be the average marks obtained
for each point as mentioned above.
During Examination, there will be checklists for Instructions, Conduct and report. In viva 6
questions of 3 marks and one question of 2 marks will be asked.
Books for reference

1) Anastasi, A. & Urbina, S. (1997). Psychological Testing. (7th ed.). Pearson Education, New
Delhi, first Indian reprint 2002
2) Aaron, A., Aaron, E. N., & Coups, E. J. (2006). Statistics for Psychology. (4th ed.). Pearson
Education, Indian reprint 2007
3) Cohen, J. R., & Swerdlik, M. E., (2018). Psychological Testing and Assessment: An introduction
to Tests and Measurement. (9th ed.). New York. McGraw-Hill International edition. (Indian
reprint 2018)
4) Elmes, D.G., Kantowitz, B.H., & Roediger, H.L. (1999) Research Methods in Psychology.(6th
ed.). Brooks/Cole, Thomson Learning
5) Francis, G., Neath, I., &VanHorn, D. (2008). Coglab 2.0 on a CD. Wadsworth Cengage
Learning, International student edition
6) Gilhooly, K.; Lyddy,F. & Pollick F. (2014). Cognitive Psychology, McGraw Hill Education
7) Garrett, H.E. (1973). Statistics in Psychology and Education (6th ed.) Bombay: Vakils, Feffer,
and Simons Pvt. Ltd.
8) Guilford, J.P. Fruchter, B. (1973). Fundamental statistics in psychology and education. (5th
ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill
9) Goldstein, E. B. (2005). Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday
Experience.Wadsworth/ Thomson Learning
10) Harris, P. (2008). Designing and Reporting Experiments in Psychology. 3rd ed., Open
University Press, McGraw-Hill Education
11) Hollis-Sawyer, L.A., Thornton, G. C. III, Hurd, B., & Condon, M.E. (2009). Exercises in
Psychological Testing. (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education
12) McBurney, D. H. (2001). Research Methods. (5th ed.). Bangalore: Thomson Learning India
13) Mangal, S. K. (1987). Statistics in Psychology and Education. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill
Publishing Company Ltd.
14) Martin, D. W. (2004). Doing Psychology Experiments. (6th ed.). Belmont: Thomson
Wadsworth
15) Matlin, M. W. (1995). Cognition. 3rd ed., Bangalore: Prism Books pvt. ltd.
16) King, B. M., Rosopa, P. J., &. Minium, E. W., (2011). Statistical Reasoning in the Behavoiral
sciences,John Wiley & sons
17) Minium, E. W., King, B. M., & Bear, G. (2001). Statistical Reasoning in Psychology and
Education. Singapore: John-Wiley
18) Pareek, U. (2003). Training Instruments in HRD and OD (2nd ed.), Tata McGraw- Hill
Publishing Company, Mumbai
19) Snodgrass, J. G., Levy-Berger G. V., & Haydon, M. (1985). Human Experimental Psychology.
New York: Oxford University Press.
20) Solso, R. L., &McLin, M. K. (2002). Experimental Psychology: A case approach. 7th ed., Allyn
Bacon, Pearson Education New Delhi, Indian reprint 2003
21) Steinberg, W. J. (2008). Statistics Alive! Los Angeles: Sage Publications, Inc.
22) Surprenant, A.M., Francis, G., & Neath, I. (2005). Coglab Reader. Thomson Wadsworth
7

1. Variables – Types, Operational definition
2. Designs – Types (one IV and two IV), Sampling, Randomization and Counterbalancing
3. Hypotheses – Types – Null and Alternative
4. Statistical Analysis –Inferential statistics - t test, F Test, statistical significance
The first four topics in Introduction to Experimental Psychology and Statistics in

Psychological Research are the basic topics, which creates a strong foundation for
this paper of Practicals in Psychology. The conceptual clarity in variables, the
designs, hypotheses and Statistical Analysis gives a sound foundation for
understanding of Psychology as a science.
The teachers are expected to teach these topics in details, using the reference books
at the beginning of the fifth Semester. A Power Point Presentation has been shared
separately to help the teachers reach out to the students effectively, in the online
teaching, during these unusual pandemic times.
8
Scales of measurement
Measurement is the way of assigning numbers or symbols to characteristics of people or things

according to certain rules. Different variables are measured in different ways depending on their
nature. Some variables are continuous i.e., their values can be divided further; for example. height.
Some others are discrete such as those involving categories; for example, Male and Female. They
do not have continuity therefore cannot be divided further.
Scales of measurement refer to ways in which these variables/numbers are defined and categorized.
Each scale of measurement has certain properties that distinguish them from the others. There are
four scales of measurement which are remembered by the acronym ‘NOIR’. Each letter in noir
stands for one scale of measurement in the order of increasingly rigorous scales – Nominal, Ordinal,
Interval and Ratio.
Nominal scales–
Nominal scale is the simplest form of measurement. It involves the classification or categorization
of variables, such that they make mutually exclusive categories. Variables such as gender, religion
etc are measured on the nominal scale.
Ordinal scales -
In addition to categories as in the nominal scale, ordinal scales also involve some ordering of the
categories of the variable. Therefore, variables in the ordinal scale can be compared. For example,
Military ranks.
Interval scales -
Interval scales imply equal intervals between adjacent values of a variable being measured. For
example, Temperature. The difference between 20 and 30 degrees is the same as the difference
between 40 and 50 degrees.
Ratio scales -
Ratio scales are the most informative. Variables measured on the ratio scale have an absolute zero
i.e. the theoretical absence of the variable exists. For example, money. Because of the absence of
the variable, it can also be compared such as 60rs is double the amount of 30rs.
Note – Measurements using the Likert scales, are considered to be ordinal or interval scales. Since
Likert scales involve placing responses into ordered categories, they are generally considered to be
ordinal scales. However, in practice many researchers consider them to be interval scales and
conduct data analysis accordingly. Since it is very frequently used in research, it is important to
consider these factors while choosing the correct statistical methods to be used with Likert scale
data.
Practice exercises -
Sr no. Blood Food IQ Income Socio – Time taken Marks Grades
group preference (per economic to solve a
month) class puzzle (in
secs)
1 O +ve Vegetarian 110 16,000 Lower 398 45 D
2 B +ve Vegan 125 38,000 Middle 423 82 O
3 A -ve Non-vegetarian 98 45,500 Upper 632 60 A
4 O +ve Vegetarian 100 12,500 Lower 524 73 O
5 A +ve Non-vegetarian 105 43,000 Upper 523 55 C
6 A -ve Non-vegetarian 110 28,000 Middle 453 65 A
7 B +ve Vegetarian 80 55,500 Upper 621 48 D
8 O +ve Non-vegetarian 95 37,500 Middle 348 67 A
9 O +ve Vegetarian 86 17,000 Lower 564 53 C
10 B +ve Non-vegetarian 107 28,000 Middle 537 62 A
11 A +ve Non-vegetarian 118 50,000 Upper 600 90 O
12 O +ve Vegetarian 126 9,500 Lower 486 55 B
13 B +ve Non-vegetarian 107 30,500 Middle 384 70 O
9
14 A +ve Vegetarian 110 20,000 Lower 547 58 B

15 O +ve Vegan 93 25,000 Middle 435 92 O
In every experiment or research, a variable would be measured i.e. the dependent variable. The
kind of descriptive and inferential analysis done with the variable depends on how it is measured.
The different ways in which variables are measured are known as scales of measurement. Each
scale of measurement has certain features, which determine what analysis can be done.
Scale of Graphical representation Measures of central Inferential statistics

measurement tendency
Nominal Pie chart, Bar graph Mode Chi square
Ordinal Bar graph Median Chi square
Interval Histogram, bar graphs, line Mean, Median, Mode t test, ANOVA
graphs
Ratio Histogram, bar graphs, line Mean, Median, Mode t test, ANOVA
graphs
Calculations – (sample data tables)

Nominal data –
Blood group Frequency Food preference Frequency

O +ve Vegetarian
B +ve Non vegetarian
A +ve Vegan
A –ve
Ordinal data –
Socio economic class – 1 = Upper, 2= Middle, 3 = Lower
Grades – 1 = O, 2 = A, 3 = B, 4 = C, 5 = D.
Variable Data Median Rank

Socio economic class
Grades
Interval scale –
Sr. no. IQ scores Marks

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
10
14
15
Total
Mean
Median
Mode
Range
SD
Variance
Ratio scale –
Person Income (per month) Time taken to solve a puzzle (in

secs)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Total
Mean
Median
Mode
Range
SD
Variance
References –
Huiping Wu & Shing-On Leung (2017) Can Likert Scales be Treated as Interval Scales? A Simulation
Study, Journal of Social Service Research
Basu Prasad Subedi (2016) Using Likert Type Data in Social Science Research: Confusion, Issues
and Challenges, International Journal of Contemporary Applied Sciences.
Online Statistics Education: A Multimedia Course of Study (http://onlinestatbook.com/)
Cohen, J. R, Swerdlik, M.E, Struman, E.D. (2015). Psychological Testing and Assessment: An
Introduction to tests and measurement.
11
5. Report writing – APA format

Some important points from Manual of the American Psychological Association – 5th Edition APA –
Title:
1. It should not be more than 12 words.

2. It should be boldfaced. All the major words and the words longer than 4 letters should be
capitalized (The first letter should be capital).
3. The title should be at the center of the page.
4. Avoid abbreviations – STM, ASPD, avoid using colon.
5. Avoid unnecessary words (like a study of, an experiment on). The title should be focused,
concise and has to identify major variables used in the study.
Abstract:
1. Should not be more than 120 words.

2. It should mention Problem, participants, gender, method, procedure, tools, findings,
significance, conclusion and implications.
Capitalize:
1. First word after full stop and Colon.

2. Do not capitalize laws and theories, for e.g. ‘law of effect’.
3. Capitalize Test/Scale names. Do not capitalize if used in generic terms – for e.g. stroop test
was used
4. In references, only the first word is capital, all others are small
Italics:
1. Titles of books, periodicals, microfilms.

2. Species and their varieties.
3. New, technical key terms (only first time).
4. Periodical’s volume number in references.
Numbers:
1. All numbers from zero to nine should be written in words, for e.g., two, six
2. All numbers from 10 and above should be written numerically, for e.g., 12, 200
3. When comparison is stated, for e.g., in 5th & 10th trial, and for time, date, ratio, percentiles
– use number, even when it is between o and 9.
12
B. Practice Exercises – Two exercises
1. A sample Experimental Situation is given below,
An experiment was conducted to study the effect of exercise on improvement of immune

functioning. The immune functioning was measured using a 5-point rating scale, in terms of health
complaints – constant feeling of fatigue, frequent cold, body aches and pain, health complaints. One
group practiced various Yoga postures, 5 days a week for 40 minutes, for three months, under the
guidance of a teacher. The other group was no exercise group. The participants were equated on
few important variables as age, gender, socioeconomic level and pretest immune functioning. The
pre and post-test measures of immune function on rating scale were compared.
Discuss the possible designs, both the null and alternative hypothesis, IV, DV, Control Variables,
Statistical Analysis and Ethical Issues.
2. A sample set of Variables is given below,
Consumption of food (Nutritious vs Junk) on aggressive behavior in middle childhood

- State IV, DV, CV
- Define operationally IV, DV
- Design experiment, state the strengths & flaws of the design
- Frame Null & alternate hypothesis
- State the statistical analysis
- Discuss ethical issues
Design an experiment, frame both the null and alternative hypothesis, discuss the Statistical
Analysis and Ethical Issues
The Practice Exercises are to be conducted batchwise, under the guidance of the teacher.
The students will discuss both the sets of exercises batchwise and each student will write a small
report based on the discussion, with possible strengths and limitations of the design and other
aspects discussed.
13
C. One Practice Experiment

1. Conduct the experiment
2. Review Original Article
3. Write result and discussion of group data using APA format
Practice experiment – Anchoring and Adjustment
For participating in the experiment half of the students in the class should have chits with numbers
1-50 (low anchor) written on them and the other half should have chits with numbers 51-100 (high
anchor) written on them. For conducting the experiment, the class is randomly divided into 2
groups. 1 group leaves the class for around 10 minutes. The teacher conducts the low anchor
condition of the experiment by asking the students 10 questions, the answers to each of which are
expressed in percentages. The students are instructed that after hearing the question, they should
pick a chit (having a number between 1 and 50) , read the number written on it, decide and write
on a sheet of paper 1) whether their estimated answer is higher/lower than or same as the number
on the chit and 2) their actual estimate. After writing down their estimated percentages for each
question, the group leaves the class.
The other group enters the class and the teacher conducts the high anchor condition of the
experiment. The procedure remains the same, the only difference is that the students pick from
chits having numbers between 51 and 100.
Once the conduct for both the conditions is completed, each student has to calculate the mean of
their estimated percentages. The mean estimate of each student is collected and the mean estimate
for the 2 conditions is calculated. Independent samples t-test is conducted to find whether the mean
estimate for the 2 conditions are significantly different. The students discuss the methodological
aspects of the experiment.
Instructions
This is a simple experiment. I will ask you 10 questions one at a time. Your task is to write the answer
to each question as accurately as possible. Before you answer each question, you have to pick out
1 chit, on which a number is written. You have to write whether your answer to the question, which
will be a number, will be higher, lower or same as the number on the chit. Then you have to write
your actual estimate.
Individual Data
Question no. Anchor Estimate high/low Actual estimated no.
1
-
10
Total - -
Mean - -
14
Group Data: Comparison of Mean estimated percentages of 20 students in High and Low Anchor
condition.
Mean estimated percentages
P’s High anchor Low anchor
20
Total
Mean
Questions:
1. On an average, what percentage of typing is done with the left hand?

2. What percentage of the earth’s land is covered by glaciers?
3. What percentage of plant life is found in the ocean?
4. What percentage of bones in the body is located in the feet?
5. What percentage of the world’s spices come from India?
6. What percentage of households in India are single parent families?
7. What percentage of police personnel in India are women?
8. What percentage of the world population consumes rice as staple food?
9. What percentage of their lives do cats spend sleeping?
10. What percentage of the world population lives in Asia?
15
D. Two Experiments in Cognitive Processes

2. Pool group data
conclusion
A. The Automatic Vigilance Experiment
TITLE: The Automatic Vigilance Experiment
INTRODUCTION
• What is automatic vigilance? Criteria of automatic vigilance
• What is Stroop effect and features of Stroop task (McLeod, 1991) and Variations of Stroop
Task
• Briefly review studies on effect of semantic meaning on automatic vigilance (Wentura and
Rothurmund, 2000). Explain Automatic vigilance hypothesis through stroop colour
interference paradigm
• What are the reasons for interference in colour naming due to desirability value of the
information? Automatic vigilance and valence of the information: desirable versus
undesirable traits- attention grabbing power of negative social information (Pratto and John,
1991)
• Summarize various research studies on automatic vigilance and desirability value of
information.
• Discuss, if any, other relevant research studies on effect of semantic meaning on colour
naming.
• What is the impact of Automatic vigilance on incidental learning and reasons for the
predictions?
• What are the predictions in the experiment and rationale for the hypotheses?
PROBLEM
To study the automatic vigilance towards social information (difference in colour naming time and
number of words recalled) as a function of the valence of the material (positive versus negative)
HYPOTHESES
Alternative Hypotheses
1. Undesirable trait words produce more interference with colour naming than the desirable trait
words. Total time taken to name the colours of undesirable trait words are more than that of
desirable trait words.
2. The undesirable trait words are recalled more than the desirable trait words.
Null Hypotheses
1. Undesirable trait words do not produce more interference with colour naming more than
the desirable trait words. Total time taken to name the colours of undesirable trait words is
less than or equal to that of desirable trait words.
2. The undesirable trait words are recalled less than or equal to the desirable trait words.
16
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF THE VARIABLES:

Independent Variable
Desirability value of the information -1 Independent Variable with 2 levels.
Presentation of (i) Undesirable trait words and (ii) Desirable trait words in the colours: Red, Green,
Blue, Pink, Orange and Brown.
Dependent Variables
1. Total time taken (in seconds) to name the colours of desirable and undesirable trait words.
2. Total number of desirable and undesirable trait words recalled.
Note: The number of errors made while naming the colours can be noted down and discussed in
ancillary observations of the individual data
Control Variables
1. There were separate colour-word sheets for the two conditions, desirable and undesirable trait
words. Each sheet had 30 desirable/undesirable trait words and 06 neutral words repeated
twice.
2. The two sheets were presented successively. Half of the Es in the class presented the desirable
trait words sheet first followed by the undesirable trait words sheet. The other half of the Es
used the reverse order of presentation.
3. The first and the last column of both the sheets had neutral words, to avoid primacy and recency
effects while recalling the desirable and undesirable trait words in the free recall task.
4. No mention of the recall test was made during the initial colour naming task.
5. The order of the colours to be named in both the conditions was the same.
6. The order of the colours was random with the constraint that each colour occurred once in each
column and twice in each row.
7. The sheets of the stimulus words for the two conditions were comparable in the arrangement
and spacing of the colour-word units and in the number of letters comprising each unit.
8. There was an unfilled interval of 30 seconds between the presentations of the two successive
cards.
METHOD:
Participants:
Individual Data
Name (Optional) Age Class Emotional State

Participant 1
Group Data
College Students: N=20 participants
Apparatus and Materials

1. Two separate colour-word sheets, for the two conditions: desirable colour-word units and
undesirable colour-word units, each containing 72 colour-word units in lower-case letters.
(6 colour-word units in each column and 12 colour-word units in each row).
2. Two scoring sheets for the colour naming task.
3. One demonstration card with 2 columns of 6 units each having the word ‘example’ written
in all the different colours that will be used in the actual task.
4. A recall sheet for the recall test.
5. Stopwatch
17
6. Stationery
7. Screen
DESIGN
Repeated measures design with one independent variable having 2 levels. Each participant was
exposed to both the levels – desirable and undesirable trait words.
PROCEDURE
The E arranged the screen and the materials and called the P to the laboratory. S/he was made to
sit comfortably, rapport was built, and s/he was given the following instructions.
Instructions for the first task
"This is a simple experiment on naming colours.
You will be presented with two sheets, one after the other. Each sheet will have series of colours in
the context of words. Your task is to name aloud only the colour in which the words have been
written, as quickly and as accurately, as you can. Begin from the first column, top most word and
proceed vertically down the column. Move from one column to the next without skipping any
column. Do not use your finger to point out or do not nod your head while you name the colours. E
explained P all the above instructions one by one with the help of demo sheet. E asked P to name
the colours in the demo sheet twice making sure all the instructions are understood and followed
well by the P.
After ensuring that the P had understood the task, s/he was given the first sheet of 72 words. E said
‘Start’, started the stopwatch the moment P started naming the colours. If the P engaged in nodding
or pointing, E stopped the stopwatch, noted the time till then, cautioned P not use those behaviors,
and continued timing him or her. If P engaged in reading the words instead of naming the ink colours
for three consecutive times, E stopped the stopwatch, noted the time till then, cautioned P not use
those behaviors, and continued timing him or her. The time taken to name the colours of the first
sheet was carefully noted. The errors, if any, were carefully noted. 30 seconds unfilled interval was
given after the first sheet was completed. Then the second sheet was given. The same procedure
was ensured while giving this sheet as in the first sheet.
Instructions for the second task
"In the second task, you have to write down on this sheet of paper (show the blank sheet to the P),
as many words as possible, that you remember having seen on both sheets presented earlier. Please
don't write the colours you named. The order of the words and whether they are from the first or
the second sheet is not important. You can write them as you remember them. You have 10 minutes
to recall and write the words. Please write the words vertically, one below the other. Please begin.
"
E gave the pencil and the recall Sheet and said 'start' and started the stopwatch simultaneously. E
noted the recall time taken by the P.
Post-task Questions
1. Have you heard anything about this experiment before?
2. Do you have any comments about this experiment?
3. What do you think was the purpose of this experiment?
4. Did you find anything unusual about this experiment?
5. Did you feel anxious at any point during the experiment? If so, explain.
18
6. Did you notice any difference in the words or how you named the colours on the 2 cards? If
yes, please explain.
7. Did nature of the words make any difference to how fast you named their colours and how
well you remembered them? If yes, please explain how?
8. Did you find the words on any one card more distracting than the other? Did that make it
easier or more difficult to name the colours on any one card? If yes, please explain how that
affected your experience.
9. Did you anticipate that there would be another task following the colour-naming task? If yes,
how and what did you anticipate?
10. Did you experience any difficulty in recalling the words? If yes, specify.
11. Did you feel that some words were easier to remember or stood out among the rest? If so,
which were they and why do you think you remembered them better?
DEBRIEFING
The purpose of the experiment was to study whether colour-naming time was longer for
undesirable trait words as compared to desirable trait words and whether undesirable trait
words were remembered better than desirable trait words. The participant was shown the two
cards and the difference between them was explained.
The participant was told that the task of naming the colour shows that people are sensitive to
the emotion entailed in the stimulus word though this feature is completely irrelevant to the
task. One way that people evaluate stimuli is to immediately find out whether a stimulus ‘good
for me’ or ‘bad for me’ without much conscious thought. Then our attention gets directed to the
stimulus that is evaluated as negative or undesirable. This shift in attention occurs even without
the intention of the person. Negative words divert attention away from the colour name due to
a mechanism called ‘automatic vigilance’ in which people monitor their environment for
potential danger.
Thus, in the present experiment, it was expected that undesirable trait words would cause
problems disengaging attention from the words and focusing on the colour dimension.
Therefore, participant would take longer to name the colours of the undesirable trait words as
compared to the desirable trait words. It was also expected that some incidental learning (which
occurs without the learner’s intention) of the words would also occur. As undesirable
information would hold attention for longer, recall would be greater for the undesirable trait
words as compared to the desirable trait words. Results were explained to the participant with
respect to time taken to name the colours and number of words recalled in the two conditions.
This task has been used in clinical studies using words specific to the individual’s concerns such
as anxiety, phobia etc. e.g. depressed individuals would be slower in naming depressive words
as compared to neutral words. Past research indicates a specific attention mechanism sensitive
to positive and negative adjectives used to characterize safe and risky social environments.
There is an adaptive advantage for organisms having the capacity to attend to undesirable
stimulus quickly and with little effort.
The application to daily life is how automatic processing plays a role in impression formation,
stereotypes and group processing. Automatic vigilance can lead to a negative bias in judgment
and memory. It explains how unfavorable information about individual or stereotyped groups is
often noticed and remembered better than favorable information even without the perceiver
intending to do so, thus making the person’s impression of that individual or social group
19
negatively biased. Therefore, people’s greater attention to negative information may protect
them from immediate harm but one should be mindful that it can also contribute to prejudice
and conflict in social interaction.
ANALYSIS OF DATA
Individual data
1) A comparative analysis of the colour naming time (in seconds) and the number of words
recalled for the two conditions was presented in Table 1. (In case of Recall, only the desirable
and undesirable trait words were counted. Neutral words from the first and last columns on
both the cards were not to be counted.)
2) Bar graphs were drawn to depict the colour naming time and number of words recalled in
the two conditions (Figures 1 and 2 respectively).
Table 1: Comparison of Colour naming time in seconds and No. of words recalled for Undesirable
and Desirable Trait Words
Colour naming time in seconds No. of words recalled

Undesirable Trait Words
Desirable Trait Words
Difference =
Group data
1) A comparative analysis of the Colour naming time for Undesirable and Desirable Trait
Words of 20 participants was presented in Table 2 and the calculation of t value (Paired t
test) was shown below the table.
2) A comparative analysis of the Recall scores for Undesirable and Desirable Trait Words of 20
participants was presented in Table 3 and the calculation of t value (Paired t test) was
shown below the table.
3) Bar graphs were drawn to depict the Mean colour naming time and Mean recall score of 20
participants in the two conditions (Figures 3 and 4 respectively).
Table 2: Comparative analysis of the Colour naming time for Undesirable and Desirable Trait
Words of 20 participants and the calculation of t value
Undesirable trait words Desirable trait words

Ps Colour naming time Colour naming time Difference Difference²
1
2
19
20
Table 3: Comparative analysis of the Recall scores for Undesirable and Desirable Trait Words of
20 participants and the calculation of t value
Undesirable trait words Desirable trait words

Ps Recall scores Recall scores Difference Difference²
1
2
19
20
20
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

Individual data
Discuss the total time taken to name colours in context of desirable and undesirable trait words.
Is the trend as expected? Provide theory basis to support the results. If contrary trend observed,
discuss the confounding factors operated during the conduct.
Comment on the number of undesirable and desirable traits words recalled. Is the trend in
expected direction? Then discuss relevant theory or research. If contrary findings are observed,
discuss methodological issues or confounding factors relevant explaining the trend.
Discuss whether the trends in the individual data were consistent with the Null Hypothesis or not?
As ancillary observation, discuss the number of errors made and type of errors made. Does it
indicate any influence of IV? What does it show about the attitude of the P while doing the task?
Was there any speed accuracy trade off observed?
Any factors operating during the conduct affecting the results? Discuss whether controls were in
place or not? Did the attitude and emotional state of participant influence the results in any way?
Incorporate PTQs to explain the trends observed.
Provide relevant theory and research to augment the results obtained.
Group data
Is the mean time taken to name the colours in context of undesirable trait words higher than the
mean time taken to name the colours in the context of desirable trait words?
Is the mean number of undesirable trait words recalled more than the mean number of desirable
trait words recalled?
Which inferential statistical technique would you use to analyse the group data and why? Provide
reasons.
Are the results statistically significant? Report t values with degree of freedom and statistical
significance. Report the results as per APA format.
Is the alternative hypothesis validated by the group data or not based on the inferential statistics?
Provide relevant theoretical or research basis. If the group data is not as expected, provide
confounding factors or explain methodological issues of the experiment.
Evaluate the experiment on the basis of internal validity, external validity, experimental realism,
and mundane realism.
Could there be any modifications? Any new lines of inquiry? Recent research? Suggestions for
improvement?
Provide appropriate conclusion as per APA format.
CONCLUSION
The main trends in the Individual Data were/were not consistent with the relevant past research
and theories for total time taken to name the colours of undesirable and desirable trait words
alone/ number of undesirable and desirable trait words recalled alone/ for total time taken and
words recalled both.
The hypothesis that 1) ‘Total time taken to name the colours of undesirable trait words are more
than that of desirable trait words’, was/was not validated by the Group Data, on the basis of the
obtained t value and its significance; 2) ‘The undesirable trait words are recalled more than the
desirable trait words’, was/was not validated by the Group Data, on the basis of the obtained t
value and its significance.
21
REFERENCES
Ben-Haim, Moshe Shay & Williams, Paul & Howard, Zachary & Mama, Yaniv & Eidels, Ami &
Algom, Daniel. (2016). The Emotional Stroop Task: Assessing Cognitive Performance under
Exposure to Emotional Content. Journal of Visualized Experiments. 2016. 10.3791/53720.
Chajut, Eran & Mama, Yaniv & Levy, Leora & Algom, Daniel. (2010). Avoiding the Approach Trap: A
Response Bias Theory of the Emotional Stroop Effect. Journal of experimental psychology.
Learning, memory, and cognition. 36. 1567-72. 10.1037/a0020710.
Pratto, Felicia & John, Oliver. (1991). Automatic Vigilance: The Attention-Grabbing Power of
Negative Social Information. Journal of personality and social psychology. 61. 380-91.
10.1037//0022-3514.61.3.380.
Price, Shelley & Beech, Anthony & Mitchell, Ian & Humphreys, Glyn. (2011). The promises and
perils of the emotional Stroop task: A general review and considerations for use with forensic
samples. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 2011. 1–16. 10.1080/13552600.2010.545149.
Wentura, Dirk & Rothermund, Klaus & Bak, Peter. (2000). Automatic Vigilance: The Attention-
Grabbing Power of Approach and Avoidance-Related Social Information. Journal of personality and
social psychology. 78. 1024-37. 10.1037/0022-3514.78.6.1024.
Williams JM, Mathews A, MacLeod C. The emotional Stroop task and psychopathology.
Psychological Bulletin. 1996;120(1):3-24. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.120.1.3
Yiend, Jenny. (2010). The effects of emotion on attention: A review of attentional processing of
emotional information. Cognition & Emotion. 24. 3-47. 10.1080/02699930903205698.
APPENDICES
Scoring Sheets
Undesirable trait words
Row Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4
No C W C W C W C W
1 Red modern Pink cruel Brown Violent Green unforgiving
2 Green unknown Blue biased Red boastful Brown brutal
3 Brown harmless Green listless Blue dismissive Orange conniving
4 Pink careful Red incapable Orange Rough Blue mean
5 Orange undemanding Brown quarrelsome Green Selfish Pink jealous
6 Blue realistic Orange bossy Pink merciless Red aggressive
No. C W C W C W C W
1 Orange wicked Blue vicious Red Bossy Pink brutal

22
2 Pink depressed Orange sluggish Green merciless Blue isolated
3 Red isolated Pink apathetic Brown aggressive Green immature
4 Green lonely Brown immature Pink Stingy Red incapable
5 Blue ruthless Red dull Orange intolerant Brown selfish
6 Brown stingy Green intolerant Blue Violent Orange apathetic
No. C W C W C W C W
1 Brown mean Green wicked Orange Lonely Blue realistic
2 Red biased Brown dismissive Pink sluggish Orange modern
3 Blue conniving Orange vicious Red ruthless Pink harmless
4 Orange dull Blue unforgiving Green depressed Brown unknown
5 Green jealous Pink boastful Blue Cruel Red undemanding
6 Pink quarrelsome Red listless Brown Rough Green careful
Desirable trait words
No. C W C W C W C W
1 Red normal Pink witty Brown Cordial Green sympathetic
2 Green choosey Blue honest Red creative Brown humble
3 Brown reserved Green carefree Blue persistent Orange sensitive
4 Pink curious Red inventive Orange Smart Blue fair
5 Orange complicated Brown considerate Green content Pink sincere
6 Blue systematic Orange happy Pink confident Red hospitable
No. C W C W C W C W
1 Orange clever Blue helpful Red Happy Pink humble

23
2 Pink organized Orange flexible Green confident Blue generous
3 Red generous Pink brilliant Brown hospitable Green skillful
4 Green active Brown skillful Pink Loving Red inventive
5 Blue friendly Red kind Orange optimistic Brown content
6 Brown loving Green optimistic Blue Cordial Orange brilliant
No. C W C W C W C W
1 Brown fair Green clever Orange Active Blue systematic
2 Red honest Brown persistent Pink Flexible Orange normal
3 Blue sensitive Orange helpful Red Friendly Pink reserved
4 Orange kind Blue sympathetic Green organized Brown choosey
5 Green sincere Pink creative Blue Witty Red complicated
6 Pink considerate Red carefree Brown Smart Green curious
Word lists
No. Neutral words Undesirable trait words Desirable trait words

1 modern cruel witty
2 unknown biased honest
3 harmless listless carefree
4 careful incapable inventive
5 undemanding quarrelsome considerate
6 realistic bossy happy
7 normal violent cordial
8 choosey boastful creative
9 reserved dismissive persistent
10 curious rough smart
11 complicated selfish content
12 systematic merciless confident
13 unforgiving sympathetic
14 brutal humble
24
15 conniving sensitive
16 mean fair
17 jealous sincere
18 aggressive hospitable
19 wicked clever
20 depressed organized
21 isolated generous
22 lonely active
23 ruthless friendly
24 stingy loving
25 vicious helpful
26 sluggish flexible
27 apathetic brilliant
28 immature skillful
29 Dull kind
30 intolerant optimistic
Undesirable and desirable word cards:

25
The Automatic Vigilance Experiment – Checklists
Instructions/Conduct 10 marks each, total 20 marks
Sn Instructions -10 marks Marks

I Instructions for task One
1 This is a simple experiment on naming colours 0.5
You will be presented with two sheets, one after the other
2 Each sheet will have series of colours in the context of words. Your task is to name 01
aloud only the colour in which the words have been written, as quickly and as
accurately, as you can
3 Begin from the first column, top most word and proceed vertically down the 0.5
column. Move from one column to the next without skipping any column
4 Do not use your finger to point out or do not nod your head while you name the 0.5
colours
5 E explained all the above instructions with the help of demo sheet. 01
E asked P to name the colours in the demo sheet twice making sure all the
instructions are understood and followed well by the P
6 P asked to repeat major points of the instructions to ensure that the P has 01
understood them
Sheet 1 was presented
30 seconds unfilled interval was given after the first sheet was completed. 0.5
Sheet 2 was presented
II Instructions for task Two

1 "In the second task, you have to write down on this sheet of paper (show the blank 01
sheet to the P), as many words as possible, that you remember to have seen on
both sheets presented earlier
2 Please don't write the colours you named. Their order is not important 01
3 You can write them as you remember them, whether they are from the first or the 01
second sheet it does not matter
4 You have 10 minutes to recall and write the words. 01
5 Please write the words vertically, one below the other 0.5
6 The recall instructions summarized by the E 0.5
Total 10.0
Deductions
All instructions given, but sequence altered 0.5

Fumbled 0.5
had to refer to the notes 0.5
Any other error – depending on severity - range 0.5 to 2 marks
10.0 – deductions = Final Marks of Instructions

26
*Conduct – Supervise either Sheet 1 or Sheet 2 during final examination
I Conduct – Sheet 1
1 P was given the first sheet of 72 words 0.5
2 E said ‘Start’, Started the stopwatch the moment P started naming the colours. 0.5
3 If the P engaged in nodding or pointing, E stopped the stopwatch, noted the time till 01
then, cautioned P not use those behaviors, and continued timing him or her.
4 If P engaged in reading the words instead of naming the ink colours for three 01
consecutive times, E stopped the stopwatch, noted the time till then, cautioned P not
use those behaviors, and continued timing the P
5 The time taken to name the colours of the first sheet was carefully noted. 01
6 The errors were carefully noted 01
II Conduct – Sheet 2
1 E said ‘Start’, Started the stopwatch the moment P started naming the colours.
2 If the P engaged in nodding or pointing, E stopped the stopwatch, noted the time till
then, cautioned P not use those behaviors, and continued timing him or her.
3 If P engaged in reading the words instead of naming the ink colours for three
consecutive times, E stopped the stopwatch, noted the time till then, cautioned P not
use those behaviors, and continued timing the P
4 The time taken to name the colours of the second sheet was carefully noted.
5 The errors were carefully noted
III Conduct – recall task
1 The P is given Pencil and a sheet of paper 0.5
2 The signal ‘start’ is given and the stopwatch is started immediately 0.5
3 The time given is 10 minutes. If the P returns the sheet before time, the P is told that 1.0
there is some more time. If the P insists on returning the sheet, the time taken for
the task is carefully noted
4 Debriefing 3.0
Total 10.0
Deductions
1 Conduct not smooth 01

2 Stop watch error 0.5
3 Any other error- depending on severity - range 0.5 to 2 marks
10.0 – deductions = Final Marks Conduct
Any other observation/Comment:

27
B. False memory using the Roediger and McDermott paradigm.
TITLE: False memory using the Roediger and McDermott paradigm.
INTRODUCTION:
• What is Memory? (Types and models of memory- briefly – not more than one paragraph).
• Memory malleability and how it is participant to distortion. (How Human memory holds an
amazing amount of information, yet it is not just a storage device. Memory processes’
susceptible to distortion (see Schacter 2001). In particular, external suggestions, like post-
event information, like leading questions (Loftus and Palmer 1974) and conversations with
co-witnesses (Wright, Self and Justice,2000), or even remembering complete, detailed
events that never happened (Loftus and Pickrell1 995).
• Reconstructive nature of memory. (Combination of different traces to create a new
memory. A note on the 'misinformation effect' (see Davis and Loftus 2006; Loftus 2005)
• What are False memories? Evidence of false memories given by various researchers.
(Bartlett (1932/1997- The War of the Ghosts, Elizabeth Loftus and colleagues (Loftus &
Palmer, 1974). - eyewitness testimony).
• Deese, Roediger and McDermott task of creating false memory in lab (Roediger &
McDermott, 1995).
• Impact of modality of presentation on false memory (Smith and Hunt 1998)
PROBLEM
To study the effect of mode of presentation of material on inducement of false memory
HYPOTHESIS
Alternative Hypothesis
The Verbal mode of presentation of material yields higher inducement of false memory. That is,
The mean recognition scores of false memory is higher for verbal presentation than for visual
presentation of word list.
Null Hypothesis
The Verbal mode of presentation of material does not yield higher inducement of false memory.
That is, The mean recognition scores of false memory is not higher for verbal presentation; it is
lower or equal to that for visual presentation of word list.
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF THE VARIABLES:

Independent Variable
Presentation list of words, varied at two levels Verbal and Visual.
Dependent Variable
Inducement of false memory, measured in terms of the mean recognition scores for false memory
for lure words not initially presented on the list
Control Variables
1. Exposure time of each word was 2 seconds
2. All the lists had the same number of words (12 words each)
3. The three lists were counterbalanced in presentation of 3 sets, such that one third of the
class followed set 1-the order of presentation being- list1, then 2 then 3, second third of
28
the class followed set 2 - the order of presentation being- list 2, then 3, then 1 and the last
third of the class followed set 3 - the order of presentation being, - list 3, then list 1 and
then list 2 respectively.
4. An interval of 12 unfilled seconds was given between the three lists.
5. Recognition list was constructed in blocks; there were 7 items per block, and each block
corresponded to a studied list (2 studied words, 2 related words, 2 unrelated words, and
the critical non studied lure). The order of the blocks corresponded to the order in which
lists had been studied. Each block of test items always began with a studied word and
ended with the critical lure; the other items were arranged haphazardly in between.
6. Three recognition sheets were prepared as per the 3 sets of word lists, such that the order
of blocks on the recognition sheets were similar to the order of lists presented.
METHOD:
Participants
Individual Data
Name (Optional) Age Class Emotional State

Participant 1
Participant 2
Group Data
College Students: N=20 participants
Apparatus and Materials

1. Three lists from the materials listed in Deese's (1959) article (3 lists of associatively related
words)
2. Recognition sheet (The 21-item recognition test included 6 studied and 15 non studied
items. There were three types of non- studied items, or lures: (a) the 3 critical lure words,
from which the lists were generated (e.g., chair), (b) 6 words generally unrelated to any
items on the three lists, and (c) 6 words weakly related to the lists (2 per list). One of the
two studied words that were tested occurred in the first position of the study list (and
therefore was the strongest associate to the critical item); the other occurred somewhere
in the first 6 positions of the study list).
3. Stopwatch/Metronome
4. Stationery
5. Screen
DESIGN
Random groups design with one independent variable having 2 levels. Different participants are
exposed to the two levels (one is presented material through verbal means and the other through
visual means.
PROCEDURE
All the required materials were checked and arranged by the E. The participant was called inside
the laboratory and made to sit comfortably facing the wooden screen. A few general questions
were asked in order to build rapport, and then the following instructions were given.
29
Instructions for the first participant

“This is a simple experiment on memory process, I will read aloud a list of words, one at a time, at
the speed of one word per 2 seconds. Your task is to listen to each word carefully as you will be
tested for it later at the end of the experiment”. “After I finish reading the first list, I will give you a
small interval of a few seconds and then read the second list. After I finish reading the second list, I
will give you a small interval of a few seconds again and then read the third list. This way I will read
aloud three lists of words, one by one. Before starting the words on each list, I will specify the list
number. “Have you understood? Do you have any doubts”?
Instructions for the second participant
“This is a simple experiment on the memory process; I will present to you some cards that have a
word typed on it. Each card will be presented one at a time at the speed of one word per 2
seconds. Your task is to look at each word carefully as you will be tested for it later at the end of
the experiment. “After I finish showing the first list, I will give you a small interval of a few seconds
and then present the second list of words. After I finish showing the second list, I will give you a
small interval of a few seconds again and then present the third list. This way I will show you three
lists of words, one by one. Before starting the words on each list, I will specify the list number.
“Have you understood? Do you have any doubts”?
The experimenter presents the list of words from the first list at the rate of one word per two
seconds, followed by words from list two and then words from list three.
Once the E ensured that the P understood the instructions properly, the E started the experiment
by saying “Ready” followed by naming the list – “List – 1” and then reading/visually showing on
card the first word on that list, E continued reading aloud/ presenting the words on the list at the
speed of one word per 2 seconds. At the end of the first list, E gives a small unfilled break of 12
seconds. After 12 seconds, the E says, “Ready”, and then names the second list as “List – 2”, then
starts reading /visually showing on card(s), the second list, in the same way as the first (at the rate
of one word per 2 seconds). At the end of the second list, the same procedure is followed, a small
gap of unfilled 12 seconds is allowed to pass by, before E says “Ready” again, followed by naming
the third list as “List – 3”, and then reading aloud /visually showing on card(s), words on the list
one by one at the speed of one word per 2 seconds, till the list is completed.
Free recall test
"This part of the task involves a simple memory test. I will give you a sheet of paper, please write
down all the words you can remember from the three lists you heard/ seen in the last session on
that sheet. Their order is not important. You can write them as you remember them. You may
begin from the last few words or words from the first or the second list, as per your preference.
Please write the words vertically, one below the other. You have three minutes to recall all the
words you can. Do you have any questions?"
E answers any questions the participant may have. E sets the timer and instructs the P to start
recalling. After three minutes are over, the E stops the P and takes the sheet away.
Recognition test
"This is a simple recognition task. I will give you a sheet of paper, on which many words are
printed. Some of the words are from the three lists of words you heard/ saw in the first part of the
experiment, and there are many new words added to it. Your task is to indicate whether each
word is old (that is, on one of the lists you heard/saw previously) or new. You will write “O” if you
think the word is old and “N” if you think the word is new. This is self-paced, and you can take
your time (but it generally does not take longer than three minutes), but try to respond as
30
accurately as you can. Begin when I say “Start”, and let me know when you are done. Do you have
any questions? ".
E answers any questions the participant may have. E starts the recognition test and waits for the
participant to finish.
Post-task Questions
1. Have you heard anything about this experiment before?
2. Do you have any comments about this experiment?
3. Did you find anything unusual about this experiment?
4. What do you think was the purpose of this experiment?
5. Do you remember seeing/ hearing all the words that you recalled / recognized or you just
know they were there?
6. Could you observe any pattern or theme in the words on the lists?
7. Did you feel confused about whether or not a word was presented to you earlier while
recognizing words?
DEBRIEFING
The purpose of this experiment was to study human memory to test its fallibility and whether it is
participant to false memories or not. In this experiment, the term false memories is used to
characterize the recall of events that never occurred or in other words remembering words that
were never shown in the list. The purpose is also to Study the effect of mode of presentation of
material on inducement of false memory, that is to know whether visual mode of material
presentation or auditory mode of material presentation leads to more false memory.
This experiment had two participants, one was shown the words one by one and the other heard
the same words. The words that appeared in a list were closely associated to another word that
was included in the recognition sheet but which was not actually seen / heard by the participant
when the words were exposed initially. Recognizing those unseen/ unheard words as being on the
list would be evidence of false memory. Sharing the scores obtained by the participant, explain if
evidence of false memory was observable.
This experiment was first performed by Roediger and McDermott in which they found that human
memory was highly reconstructive in nature and therefore participant to false memories. Work by
Smith and Hunt shows that visually presented material leads to lesser false memory scores than
verbally presented material. One explanation of why false memories are created for words not
shown/ read is that when we see or hear a word, it causes semantic activation. According to
activation theories, words are linked to one another in a network, and the activation of one lexical
concept results in the spread of activation to surrounding concepts (Collins & Loftus, 1975).
Studying a list of semantically related items will thus result in strong activation of an item (i.e., the
critical lure- use the critical lure that the P remembered/ recognized) associated to all list items.
Consequently, the critical lure may be falsely remembered due to the heightened activation.
Understanding that false memories can arise is essential, particularly in the clinical and forensic
context. Since many decisions and judgments that might impact mental health and /or future life
of people may be based on what people say they remember from memory, production of false
memories may compromise the reliability of the reports and testimonies of patients, suspects or
victims of crime. Thus, it is possible for patients, suspects or victims of crime to report
information/events in a different way from reality, unintentionally distorting facts, conditioning
31
and compromising their veracity. Currently, the occurrence of false memories is a phenomenon
widely investigated in forensic psychology since the majority of the judicial systems worldwide use
eye-witness as a source for decision making.
ANALYSIS OF DATA
Individual Data
1. Responses of participant from recall sheet were recorded in Table 1
2. Responses of participant from recognition sheet were recorded in Table 2
3. A bar graph was drawn to depict No. of false memory scores on visual compared to verbal.
(Figure 1)
Table 1: Comparison of Hit rate and False memory scores in recall task for Verbal and Visual
presentation of Words
Verbal presentation of list Visual presentation of list

Hit rate (words False memory Hit rate (words False memory
correctly (recall of words correctly (recall of words
recalled) not present on recalled) not present on
the list) the list)
List 1
List 2
List 3
Total
Mean
Table 2: Comparison of Hit rate and False memory scores in recognition task for Verbal and
Visual presentation of Words

Hit rate (max False memory Hit rate (max False memory
6) (max 3) 6) (max 3)
List 1
List 2
List 3
Total
Mean
Group Data:
1. Totals of false memory scores obtained through recognition were tabulated for 20
participants for both Verbal as well as visual mode of material presentation and were
presented in Table 2 and a calculation of one tailed t-test was shown below the table.
2. A bar graph was drawn to depict the mean false memory scores for both Verbal as well as
visual mode of material presentation. (Figure 2)
32
Table 3: Comparative analysis of False memory scores for Verbal and Visual presentation of
Words of 20 participants and the calculation of t value
Participants False memory score for False memory score for

1
2
3
.
.
.
20
Total
Mean
Individual data
Comment on the Recalled words. Is there evidence of false memory observed?

On the basis of Table1 (from recognition sheet), comment on the number of words falsely
remembered by the P as having seen in the first part of the experiment. Compare with hit rate and
state the honesty with which the P had responded in the experiment. (Dishonest if all or most
words are marked as “old”, in order to get 100% hit rate.)
Compare the false memory scores of all the three lists and comment on the total scores and
means of verbal and visual false memory scores. State the mode of presentation that yields higher
false memory
Comment on the number of false memory words recalled. How many words were correctly
recalled? Comment on the critical lures recalled. Is there evidence of false memory? Was the
number of correctly recalled words for verbal same or different from the correctly recalled words
for visual? Were falsely recalled words in verbal condition same or different from the visual
condition? Then discuss relevant theory or research. If contrary findings are observed, discuss
methodological issues or confounding factors relevant explaining the trend.
Which false memory scores are higher-Verbal or visual? Is the trend as expected? Provide theory
basis to support the results (Smith and Hunt 1998). If contrary trend observed, discuss the
confounding factors operated during the conduct.
Discuss whether the trends in the individual data were consistent with the Null Hypothesis or not?
Any factors operating during the conduct affecting the results? Discuss whether controls were in
place or not? Did attitude and emotional state of participant during the participation influence
the results in any way?
Incorporate PTQs to explain the trends observed.
Provide relevant theory and research to augment the results obtained.
33
Group data
Is the mean false memory score for verbally presented words higher than the mean false memory
score for visually presented words?
Which inferential statistical technique would you use to analyse the group data and why? Provide
reasons.
Are the results statistically significant? Report t values with degree of freedom and statistical
significance. Report the results as per APA format.
Is the alternative hypothesis validated by the group data or not based on the inferential statistics?
Provide relevant theoretical or research basis. If the group data is not as expected, provide
confounding factors or explain methodological issues (results may change if rate of presentation of
words is changed/ results may be affected if more lists are included, the longer the list the better
the false memory scores. Most importantly we have no way of knowing for sure whether dual
encoding operated or not. i.e., when verbally presented, the participant could have visualized the
word too and vice versa) of the experiment.
Evaluate the experiment on the basis of internal validity, external validity, experimental realism,
and mundane realism. Give recent researches. Any suggestions for improvement.
CONCLUSION
The main trends in the Individual Data were/were not consistent with the relevant past research
and theories for false memory scores of visual and verbal presentation of words.
The hypothesis that mean recognition scores of false memory after verbal presentation of word
list will be higher than the mean recognition scores of false memory after visual presentation of
word list, was/was not validated by the Group Data, on the basis of the obtained t value and its
significance.
REFERENCE
Roediger, H.L., & McDermott, K.B. (1995). Creating false memories: Remembering words not
presented in lists. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 21, 803-
814.
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APPENDIX
List 1:
TABLE, SIT, LEGS, SEAT, SOFT, DESK, ARM, SOFA, WOOD, CUSHION, REST, STOOL.
Critical lure: Chair
List 2:
BED, REST, AWAKE, TIRED, DREAM, WAKE, NIGHT, BLANKET, DOZE, SLUMBER, SNORE, PILLOW.
Critical lure: Sleep
34
List 3:
RIPE, CITRUS, VEGETABLE, JUICE, BANANA, ORANGE,
BASKET, BOWL, SALAD, PEAR, APPLE, CHERRY.
Critical lure: Fruit
SET 1 – List 1, 2 & 3
SET 2 – List 2, 3 & 1
SET 3 – List 3, 1 & 2
Recognition sheet – set 1
TABLE BED RIPE

TARGET ALARM CEMENT
FLOOR FIGHT SALAD
SAND DINNER BAKE
WOOD ROAD SEED
SLOUCH NIGHT TREE
CHAIR SLEEP FRUIT
BED RIPE TABLE

ALARM CEMENT TARGET
FIGHT SALAD FLOOR
DINNER BAKE SAND
ROAD SEED WOOD
NIGHT TREE SLOUCH
SLEEP FRUIT CHAIR
RIPE TABLE BED

CEMENT TARGET ALARM
SALAD FLOOR FIGHT
BAKE SAND DINNER
SEED WOOD ROAD
TREE SLOUCH NIGHT
FRUIT CHAIR SLEEP
35
False memory using the Roediger and McDermott paradigm – Checklists
Instructions/Conduct 10 marks each, total 20 marks
*Supervise instructions for any one P during the examination. Ensure card set & instructions for
the other P are correct
Sn Instructions -10 marks Marks

I Instructions for the first participant
1 “This is a simple experiment on memory process, I will read aloud a list of words, 0.5
one at a time, at the speed of one word per 2 seconds.
2 Your task is to listen to each word carefully as you will be tested for it later at the 0.5
end of the experiment
3 After I finish reading the first list, I will give you a small interval of a few seconds 1.5
and then read the second list.
After I finish reading the second list, I will give you a small interval of a few
seconds again and then read the third list.
This way I will read aloud three lists of words, one by one
4 Before starting the words on each list, I will specify the list number. “Have you 0.5
understood? Do you have any doubts
5 The E again briefly summarized the instructions. Then the P asked to repeat major 01
points of the instructions to ensure that the P has understood them.
II Instructions for the second participant
1 This is a simple experiment on the memory process; I will present to you some
cards that have a word typed on it. Each card will be presented one at a time at the
speed of one word per 2 seconds.
2 Your task is to look at each word carefully as you will be tested for it later at the
end of the experiment.
3 After I finish showing the first list, I will give you a small interval of a few seconds
and then present the second list of words.
After I finish showing the second list, I will give you a small interval of a few
seconds again and then present the third list.
This way I will show you three lists of words, one by one.
4 Before starting the words on each list, I will specify the list number. “Have you
understood? Do you have any doubts?
5 The E again briefly summarized the instructions. Then the P asked to repeat major
points of the instructions to ensure that the P has understood them.
III Instructions for Free recall test – P 1
1 01
I will give you a sheet of paper, please write down as many words you can
remember from the three lists you heard in the last session on that sheet.
2 Their order is not important. You can write them as you remember them. You may 01
begin from the last few words or words from the first or the second list, as per
your preference.
3 Please write the words vertically, one below the other. You have three minutes to 01
recall as many words you can. Do you have any questions?
IV
Instructions for Recognition test – P 1
1 This is a simple recognition task. I will give you a sheet of paper, on which many
words are printed.
36
2 Some of the words are from the three lists of words you heard in the first part of
the experiment, and there are many new words added to it.
3 Your task is to indicate whether each word is old (that is, on one of the lists you
heard/saw previously) or new. You will write “O” if you think the word is old and
“N” if you think the word is new.
4 This is self-paced, and you can take your time (but it generally does not take longer
than three minutes), but try to respond as accurately as you can.
5 Begin when I say “Start”, and let me know when you are done. Do you have any
questions?
V Instructions for Free recall test – P 2
1 I will give you a sheet of paper, please write down as many words you can
remember from the three lists you saw in the last session on that sheet.
2 Their order is not important. You can write them as you remember them. You may
begin from the last few words or words from the first or the second list, as per
your preference.
3 Please write the words vertically, one below the other. You have three minutes to
recall as many words you can. Do you have any questions?
VI Instructions for Recognition test – P 2
1 This is a simple recognition task. I will give you a sheet of paper, on which many 0.5
words are printed.
2 Some of the words are from the three lists of words you saw in the first part of the 0.5
experiment, and there are many new words added to it.
3 Your task is to indicate whether each word is old (that is, on one of the lists you 01
heard/saw previously) or new. You will write “O” if you think the word is old and
“N” if you think the word is new.
4 This is self-paced, and you can take your time (but it generally does not take longer 0.5
than three minutes), but try to respond as accurately as you can.
5 Begin when I say “Start”, and let me know when you are done. Do you have any 0.5
questions?
Deductions
1 All instructions given, but sequence altered 0.5

Fumbled 0.5
had to refer to the notes 0.5
2 Any other error – depending on severity – range 0.5 to 2 marks
10.0 – deductions = Final Marks of Instructions
Conduct
I Conduct – P 1
1 Word lists 1, 2 and 3 were presented, at the rate of one word per two seconds, one 0.5
after the other
2 E said “Ready” – named it as “List – 1” and then read the first word on that list, 0.5
continued the list at the speed of one word per 2 seconds
3 After finishing List 1, a small unfilled break of 12 seconds given. 0.5
0.5
4 E said “Ready” – named it as “List – 2” and then read the first word on that list,
37

6 E said “Ready” – named it as “List – 3” and then read the first word on that list, 0.5
8 The unfilled interval of 12 secs was measured correctly for all the 3 trials 0.5
II Conduct – P 2
1 It was ensured that the presentation was visual and all the other procedure was
meticulously followed
III Conduct – recall task – only P 1 to be supervised
1 The P is given Pencil and a sheet of paper 0.5
3 The time given is 3 minutes. If the P returns the sheet before time, the P is told that 0.5
there is some more time. If the P insists on returning the sheet, the time taken for
the task is carefully noted
IV Conduct – recognition task – only P 2 to be supervised
1 The P is given the recognition sheet 0.5
3 Although it is a self - paced task, the P is requested to return the sheet as early as 0.5
possible after 3 mins are over.
4 Debriefing 3.0
Total 10.0
Deductions
Conduct not smooth 01

Stop watch error 0.5
Any other error- depending on severity – range 0.5 to 2 marks
10.0 – deductions = Final Marks Conduct
Any other observation/Comment:

38
E. One Psychological Test

1. Administration, Scoring and Interpretation of the Test
2. Writing report on the findings of the test
3. Calculate Reliability / Validity of the test
PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING
TITLE: Administration of Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire and
Calculations of Reliability and Validity Coefficients
INTRODUCTION:
1. What does Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale measure?

2. Research about unidimensionality versus multidimensionality of Self-esteem
3. Researches about Self-esteem, its correlates, research about Indian population.
4. What does Oxford Happiness Questionnaire measure?
5. Research about construct of happiness/ subjective well-being
6. Test reliability- Cronbach’s Alpha reliability estimates
7. Test Validity- Criterion-related Validity, Concurrent Validity
PROBLEM:
1. To administer Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and calculate Cronbach’s Alpha Reliability

Coefficient
2. To administer Oxford Happiness Questionnaire and calculate concurrent validity of
Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale by correlating scores on Self-esteem Scale with those on
Happiness Questionnaire
METHOD:
• Sample:
Individual Data:
Name of Test-taker Age Gender Class Emotional State

Female
Group data: Female Degree College Students (N= 30)
• Materials:
1) Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and its manual (Refer to Appendix A for Rosenberg Self-esteem
Scale)
2) Oxford Happiness Questionnaire and its manual (Refer to Appendix B for Oxford Happiness
Questionnaire)
3) Stationery
4) Screen
39
PROCEDURE:
All the required material is arranged and test-taker was called in the laboratory. She is asked to
sit comfortably facing the screen and rapport was established. Both Rosenberg Self- esteem Scale
and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire measure personality traits. To know accurately about oneself
it is important on the part of test taker to give honest answers. So while building rapport, importance
of responding honestly is emphasized. This is done by stating the following:
The test administrator says, “We all differ in the way we think, feel and act. All of us like to know
more about ourselves. Today, in this practical, you will come to know something about yourself. For
this purpose, I will administer two tests on you. Although I used the word ‘test’, please understand
that there are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers here because, as I mentioned earlier, people differ in
terms of how they think and feel and no way of thinking and feeling is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. So, please
respond to these tests honestly in terms of what IS TRUE in YOUR case and not in terms of WHAT
SHOULD BE TRUE. How accurately you come to know about yourself depends on how honestly you
respond to these tests. So, it is important to respond truthfully. Please be assured that your
responses will be kept confidential and only total scores will be used for the purpose of further
calculations”.
Then test administrator gives a copy of Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and asks the test-taker to
fill in the demographic details on the Scale by saying, “Please take this Scale. Please enter the details
of your name, age, class and gender on it”. Test-administrator gives the test-taker a pencil and
ensures that she fills in the required details before giving further instructions. The test-administrator
then says, “This is a Scale which assesses how you feel about yourself. I will be reading the
instructions given on this paper. Listen carefully and you too read them in your mind with me”. Test-
administrator then reads the instructions given on the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. He/she then
asks, “Have you understood? Do you have any doubts? Please note that there is no time limit for
the test but I request you not to think too much about any one statement. Also do not omit any
item. Please begin”. Test-taker is, then, given time to finish responding to Self-esteem Scale. When
she finishes responding the test-administrator makes sure that she has responded to all the items,
then the Scale is taken back and instructions for the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire are given.
The test-administrator gives a copy of Oxford Happiness Questionnaire to the test-taker and
says, “This is another test which assesses how you feel about yourself, others and life, in general.
Please fill in the details like your name, age, class and gender on this questionnaire too before we
begin. Test-administrator ensures that the test-taker fills in the required details before giving further
instructions. The test-administrator, then, says, “I will read the instructions mentioned on this
paper. Listen carefully and read them in your mind as I read”. The test-administrator reads the
instructions on the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire and then asks the test-taker, “Have you
understood? Do you have any questions? Like in the earlier test, please respond honestly and do
not omit any item. Please begin”. The test-taker is then given time to respond to the Questionnaire.
When she finishes, the test-administrator ensures that she has responded to all the items and the
Questionnaire is taken back. The test-taker is then asked the following PTQs:
POST-TASK QUESTIONS:
1) How was your overall experience of taking these tests?
2) What were your thoughts when you responded to the first test?
3) What were your thoughts when you responded to the second test?
40
4) Was there any particular event/incident that had happened today or in the recent past which
influenced your responses to these test items today? If yes, what was the prominent feeling you
experienced as a result of that incident?
Since the test-administrator has to score both the tests, find Z scores on both of them to correctly
interpret test-taker’s scores, he/s he cannot debrief the test-taker immediately. So, he/she says,
“Like you, these tests will be administered on some more female Degree College students. I will
have to pull scores of other test-takers to interpret your score meaningfully. So, when all the scores
are available and I am ready with interpretation, I will call you to tell you what exactly the tests
measured and what your scores indicate. Do you want to ask or share anything more with regard to
these tests or test-taking experience?” Test-taker’s comments, opinions are patiently heard,
questions, if any, are answered. She is thanked for participation and is escorted to the door.
The test-administrator then finds out test-taker’s total scores on both the tests by following
instructions for scoring. He/ she then fills in the data in relevant tables. When data of 30 test-takers
is available, test-administrator finds out Z scores of one’s own test-taker on both the tests. He/she
also finds out reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha) and validity (concurrent validity) of Rosenberg Self-
esteem Scale and the report about the same is written. When the scores and their interpretation on
Self-esteem Scale and Happiness Questionnaires is ready, test-taker is called in the laboratory and
is given interpretation of her scores as follows:
DEBRIEFING:
Test-administrator says, “Do you remember, on __________(date) I administered two tests on
you and I had mentioned that by taking them you will come to know something more about
yourself? Today I am going to tell you what those tests measured, what your score was and what
those scores mean”.
“Both the tests measured important aspects of your personality. Personality is an individual’s
typical way of thinking, feeling and acting. The first test that I gave you was Rosenberg Self-esteem
Scale. (The test-administrator shows the test-taker her answered scale). Self-esteem is defined as
individual’s global positive or negative attitude about oneself. In simple words, it is how worthy an
individual considers oneself. People with high self-esteem have higher feelings of self-respect and
self-confidence. They experience higher emotional well-being and are highly motivated. Self-esteem
plays important role in one’s mental health. Higher self-esteem helps people cope with life’s
challenges. On the contrary, people with low self-esteem are more prone to feeling low, sad and
anxious, less confident.
“Your score on Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale was ________. This test was administered to some
more Female Degree College students. When data from 30 individuals were collected and analysed,
we found that average score on this Self-esteem Scale was ___________. Thus, your score was
higher than /lower than/close to average score. We calculated a standard score called Z score to
meaningfully compare your score with that of a group. It was found that Z score for your score on
Self-esteem Scale was __________. This Z score implies that
____________________________________________ (interpret the Z score with reference to Z
score table and communicate the interpretation)”. Developing and maintaining close, supportive
interpersonal relationships, setting goals and making attempt to achieve them, developing
competencies, developing rational beliefs about self, others, life are some of the ways to raise self-
esteem.
41
“The second test that I administered was Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. (Test-administrator
showed the test-taker her answered questionnaire). As its name suggests it is a measure of personal
happiness. Happiness is an emotional state that reflects a high level of mental and emotional well-
being. There are different theories explaining what happiness means. According to some of those
theories, happy individuals are autonomous, they have environmental mastery, they are engaged
in personal growth, self-exploration. One of the theories of happiness states that those who are
happy have rewarding relationships; they contribute to other’s happiness. People who score low on
the tests of happiness tend to experience negative emotions more often. Your score on this
questionnaire was ____________. The average score of the group was ____________. Thus, as
compared to the group, your score was higher than /lower than/close to average score. To
meaningfully interpret your score, we calculated Z score of this obtained score. It was found that Z
score for your score on Happiness Questionnaire was __________. This Z score implies that
____________________________________________ (interpret the Z score with reference to Z
score table and communicate the interpretation)”.
“Do you agree with this interpretation? Does it match with how you think and feel about
yourself? Do you want to share any opinions about the interpretation or ask anything based on
interpretation?”
(Note: It is advised that test-interpretation and debriefing should be done in the presence of
supervising teacher. Especially if test-taker’s score on any of the tests is below average then care
should be taken by both the teacher as well as the student that test- results are communicated
with due sensitivity and the test-taker leaves the lab feeling as positive as she was feeling when
she entered the lab. It is important to communicate test-results sensitively keeping in mind that
some test-takers may get emotional after listening to their test-interpretation, especially in case
of personality tests. Teachers should sensitize students about importance of communicating test-
results accurately and sensitively).
ANALYSIS OF DATA:
1) Total scores of 30 test-takers on Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and Oxford happiness
Questionnaire were entered in Table 1. Mean, variance and SD of both sets of scores were
computed and entered in Table 1.
2) Test-takers Z scores were computed for obtained scores on both the tests- Self-esteem Scale
and Happiness Questionnaire and entered in Table 2.
3) 30 test-takers scores on each of the items of Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale were entered in
Table 3 and mean and variances for scores on each item were computed and entered in the
same table.
4) Internal Consistency Reliability estimate (Cronbach’s Alpha) was calculated.
5) To find out concurrent validity of Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, Pearson r correlation between
scores of Self-esteem Scale and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire of 30 test-takers was
calculated. Level of significance of the obtained value of r was found out by referring to
appropriate statistical tables.
42
Table 1: Total Scores on Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire of 30
test-takers
Test-taker Total Score on Total Score on

no Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale Oxford Happiness Questionnaire
1
2
29
30
Total
Mean
Variance
(σᵼ²)
SD
Table 2: Calculations of Z scores on Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and Oxford Happiness

Questionnaire
Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale Oxford Happiness Questionnaire

Test-taker’s total score on the
test
Mean score on the test
SD of the total scores on the
test
Z score calculation Z= Score-Mean/SD Z= Score-Mean/SD
Obtained Z Score on the test
Calculation of Internal Consistency Reliability Estimate (Cronbach’s Alpha) of Rosenberg Self-

Esteem Scale
Table 3: Scores of 30 test-takers on each item of Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and their variances
Test- Scores on Item Numbers…

taker no 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1
2
3
29
30
Total
Mean
43
Variance
on each
item (Σσ₁²) (Σσ₂²) (Σσ₃²) (Σσ₄²) (Σσ₅²) (Σσ₆²) (Σσ₇²) (Σσ₈²) (Σσ₉²) (Σσ₁₀²)
Total of variances on each item (Σσᵢ²)
= Σσ₁² + Σσ₂² + Σσ₃² + Σσ₄² + Σσ₅² + Σσ₆² + Σσ₇² + Σσ₈²+ Σσ₉² + Σσ₁₀²
Therefore, Σσᵢ² =
Cronbach’s Alpha (α) =
k Σσᵢ²
1-
k-1 σᵼ²
where,
k= number of items in Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (10)
Σσᵢ² = Total of variances of scores on each item of Self-esteem Scale
Σσᵼ²= Variance of total scores on Self-esteem Scale on 30 Test-takers
Therefore, Cronbach’s Alpha =
k Σσᵢ²
1-
k-1 σᵼ²
Therefore, Internal Consistency Reliability of Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale is ___________
___________________________________________________________________________
44
CALCULATION OF CONCURRENT VALIDITY OF

ROSENBERG SELF-ESTEEM SCALE
Concurrent Validity is a type of Criterion-related validity. While calculating criterion-related validity

of a test, scores on to-be-validated test are correlated with scores on a criterion. The criterion must
have three characteristics:
1) It must be valid
2) It must be relevant
3) It must be uncontaminated
When concurrent validity of a test is calculated, test scores and criterion scores are available at the
same time. In this practical, criterion is the scores on Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. Oxford
Happiness Questionnaire is a reliable and valid measure of Happiness (Hills & Argyle, 2002).
Research shows that there is positive relationship between Happiness and Self-esteem (Hills &
Argyle, 2002, Baumeister et al., 2003). Thus, it’s a relevant criterion. While responding to Oxford
Happiness Questionnaire, test-taker is unaware of his/her scores on Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale
and its interpretation. So, criterion score (Score on Oxford Happiness Questionnaire) is
uncontaminated by test-taker’s knowledge of test score (score on Self-esteem Scale). Thus, scores
on Oxford Happiness Questionnaire is a good criterion for finding out concurrent validity of
Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. Concurrent Validity is calculated by correlating the test scores and the
criterion scores. Here, Pearson r correlation coefficient would be found out between these two data
sets as follows:
Table 4: Correlation between scores on Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and Oxford Happiness
Questionnaire
Test- Total Score on Total Score on

taker Rosenberg Self-esteem Oxford Happiness
X² Y² XY
no Scale Questionnaire
(X) (Y)
1
2
3
28
29
30
Total ΣX= ΣY= Σ X²= ΣY²= ΣXY=
Pearson r Calculation:
N (ΣXY) - (ΣX) (ΣY)

r = ____ ____________________________________
[N. ΣX²- (ΣX)²] [ N. ΣY² - (ΣY)² ]
=
Therefore, r (28) = p< OR , r (28) = , ns
45

• Individual Data Discussion:
Scores of test - taker on both the tests should be discussed on the following lines-
a) What was the score of the test-taker on Self-esteem Scale? What were the average score and
SD? As compared to mean, how was the test-taker’s score-higher/lower/ close to mean?
b) What was the Z score on Self-esteem Scale? After referring to table of Z scores, what was
found? Interpret the obtained Z score by referring to Z scores table.
c) What is implied by the score obtained by test-taker on Self-esteem Scale? Did the test-taker
agree with the interpretation given?
d) What was the score of the test-taker on Oxford Happiness Questionnaire? What were the
average score and SD? As compared to mean, how was the test-taker’s score-higher/lower/
close to mean?
e) What was the Z score on the Happiness Questionnaire? After referring to table of Z scores,
what was found? Interpret the obtained Z score by referring to Z scores table.
f) What is implied by the score obtained by test-taker on Happiness Questionnaire? Did the test-
taker agree with the interpretation given?
• Group Data Discussion:

a) With reference to Table 1, discuss means, variances and SDs of scores of 30 test-taker on
Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire.
b) In order to find out internal consistency reliability of Self-esteem Scale, Cronbach’s Alpha index
was calculated (since items on Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale were non-dichotomous items,
they involved use of Likert Scale). What was the obtained value of Cronbach’s Alpha? Interpret
whether this value indicates high/moderate/low reliability?
c) Were there any sources of error variance that operated when this test was administered to
the current test-taker, which might have affected the obtained score on the test, and that
should be considered while interpreting the obtained reliability coefficient?
d) With reference to research about dimensionality of the construct of self-esteem, interpret
obtained value of internal consistency reliability coefficient.
e) With reference to Table 4 and the following calculation of Pearson r correlation between scores
on Self-esteem Scale and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, discuss what was the obtained r
value? Was this value found to be statistically significant? What is the implication of this value
being significant/non-significant? Can it be said that Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale has
concurrent validity?
f) With reference to relevant research papers, discuss if it was appropriate to use scores on
Oxford Happiness Questionnaire as ‘criterion scores’. Which other criteria can be used to find
out concurrent validity of Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale? Justify your answer.
CONCLUSION:
Internal consistency reliability estimate (Cronbach’s Alpha index) was fund to be_________.
Mention if it indicates high/moderate/low reliability.
Pearson r correlation coefficient between scores on Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and Oxford
Happiness Questionnaire was found to be_________. It was found to be statistically
significant/non-significant. Mention what this indicates about validity of Rosenberg’s Self-esteem
Scale.
46
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Hills, P. & Argyle, M. (2002). The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire: A Compact Scale for the
Measurement of Psychological Well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 33, 1073-1082
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cadd/7a4eea79e031ec0cf8b8054f668057f33dda.pdf?_ga=2.149
561328.757751930.1588948711-1968066939.1565576832
Kaczmarek, L.D.(2017). Happiness. In Zeigler-Hills, V. & Shackfield, T.K. (Eds.). Encyclopaedia of

Personality and Individual Differences (pp.1-5), Springer International Publishing.
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_522-1
Kashdan, T.B. (2004). The Assessment of Subjective Well-being (issues raised by the Oxford
Happiness Questionnaire). Personality and Individual Differences, 36, 1225-1232.
http://mason.gmu.edu/~tkashdan/publications/happy.PDF
Lyubomirsky, S. Tkach, C., & Dimatteo, M.R. (2006). What Are The Differences Between Happiness
and Self-esteem? Social Indicators Research, 78, 363-404.
DOI 10.1007/s11205-005-0213-y
Mannarini, S. (2010). Assessing the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale Dimensionality and Items
Functioning in Relation To Self-efficacy And Attachment Styles. Testing, Psychometrics and
Methodology in Applied Psychology, 17 (4), 229-242
https://www.tpmap.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/17.4.4.pdf
Tafarodi, R.W. & Swann, W.B.,Jr. (2001). Two-dimensional Self-esteem: Theory and Measurement.
Personality and Individual Differences, 31, 653-673.
https://labs.la.utexas.edu/swann/files/2016/03/tafar_swann2001.pdf
48
Appendix A
Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale
(While giving the Scale to the test-taker the name of the Scale should be mentioned as ‘RSS’ to
avoid biased responses)
RSS
Name of the test-taker: _____________________________________________________
Age:___________________Class:____________ Gender:______________
Below is a list of statements dealing with your general feelings about yourself. Please read each
statement carefully and indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each statement
using the rating scale ranging from 1 to 4, where
1 = Strongly Disagree 2 = Disagree

3 = Agree 4 = Strongly Agree
Please encircle ( ) the number in front of each statement which indicates your extent of agreement
or disagreement with it. Please respond honestly based on WHAT IS TRUE in YOUR case. Please do
not omit any item.
No Statement Ratings
1 On the whole, I am satisfied with myself. 1 2 3 4
2 At times, I think I am no good at all. 1 2 3 4
3 I feel that I have a number of good qualities 1 2 3 4
4 I am able to do things as well as most other people 1 2 3 4
5 I feel I do not have much to be proud of 1 2 3 4
6 I certainly feel useless at times 1 2 3 4
7 I feel that I'm a person of worth, at least equal to 1 2 3 4
others
8 I wish I could have more respect for myself 1 2 3 4
9 All in all, I am inclined to feel that I'm a failure 1 2 3 4
10 I take a positive attitude toward myself 1 2 3 4
Scoring:
Items 2, 5, 6, 8 and 9 are reverse coded. (i.e. if the test-taker has chosen the rating of 1, it is to be
scored as 4 and vice-versa and if the test-taker has chosen the rating of 2, it is to be scored as 3
and vice-versa). For the rest of the items, consider the rating chosen by the test-taker as her score
on that item. Total score is found out by adding the scores on each item. Higher scores indicate
higher level of Self-esteem.
49
Appendix B
Oxford Happiness Questionnaire
(While giving the Scale to the test-taker the name of the Scale should be mentioned as ‘OHQ’
to avoid biased responses)
OHQ
Name of the test-taker: _____________________________________________________
Age:___________________Class:____________ Gender:______________
Below are a number of statements about happiness. Please indicate how much you agree or
disagree with each by encircling a number mentioned in front of each statement. Use the
following scale to mark your response
1 = strongly disagree 2 = moderately disagree 3 = slightly disagree
4 = slightly agree 5 = moderately agree 6 = strongly agree
Please read the statements carefully, some of the questions are phrased positively and others
negatively. Don’t take too long over individual questions; there are no “right” or “wrong” answers
(and no trick questions). The first answer that comes into your head is probably the right one for
you. If you find some of the questions difficult, please give the answer that is true for you in
general or for most of the time.
Sr Statement Ratings
no
1 I don’t feel particularly pleased with the way I am. 1 2 3 4 5 6
2 I am intensely interested in other people. 1 2 3 4 5 6
3 I feel that life is very rewarding. 1 2 3 4 5 6
4 I have very warm feelings towards almost everyone. 1 2 3 4 5 6
5 I rarely wake up feeling rested. 1 2 3 4 5 6
6 I am not particularly optimistic about the future. 1 2 3 4 5 6
7 I find most things amusing. 1 2 3 4 5 6
8 I am always committed and involved. 1 2 3 4 5 6
9 Life is good. 1 2 3 4 5 6
10 I do not think that the world is a good place. 1 2 3 4 5 6
11 I laugh a lot. 1 2 3 4 5 6
12 I am well satisfied about everything in my life. 1 2 3 4 5 6
13 I don’t think I look attractive. 1 2 3 4 5 6
14 There is a gap between what I would like to do and what I 1 2 3 4 5 6
have done.
15 I am very happy. 1 2 3 4 5 6
16 I find beauty in some things. 1 2 3 4 5 6
17 I always have a cheerful effect on others. 1 2 3 4 5 6
18 I can fit in (find time for) everything I want to. 1 2 3 4 5 6
50
19 I feel that I am not especially in control of my life. 1 2 3 4 5 6

20 I feel able to take anything on. 1 2 3 4 5 6
21 I feel fully mentally alert. 1 2 3 4 5 6
22 I often experience joy and elation. 1 2 3 4 5 6
23 I don’t find it easy to make decisions. 1 2 3 4 5 6
24 I don’t have a particular sense of meaning and purpose in my 1 2 3 4 5 6
life.
25 I feel I have a great deal of energy. 1 2 3 4 5 6
26 I usually have a good influence on events. 1 2 3 4 5 6
27 I don’t have fun with other people. 1 2 3 4 5 6
28 I don’t feel particularly healthy. 1 2 3 4 5 6
29 I don’t have particularly happy memories of the past. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Scoring:
Items 1,5,6,10,13,14,19,23,24,27,28,29 should be reverse coded (i.e. if the test-taker has chosen
the rating of 1, then it should be scored as 6 and vice-versa; if she has chosen the rating of 2, then
it should be scored as 5 and vice-versa; and if she has chosen the rating of 3 it should be scored as
4 and vice-versa). Total score is obtained by adding the scores on individual items. Higher scores
indicate higher level of happiness.
------------------------------------------

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Dr. Neeta Tatke

Dr. Neeta Tatke Dr. Radhika Mohan

Paper VIII: Practicals in Cognitive Processes and Psychological Testing

Code Sem Course Title Credits Marks

E. One Psychological Test

A. Introduction to Experimental Psychology and Statistics in Psychological Research

Internal 40 marks Practical examination of 2 hours 60 marks

Books for reference

A. Introduction to Experimental Psychology and Statistics in Psychological Research

The first four topics in Introduction to Experimental Psychology and Statistics in

Measurement is the way of assigning numbers or symbols to characteristics of people or things

14 A +ve Vegetarian 110 20,000 Lower 547 58 B

Scale of Graphical representation Measures of central Inferential statistics

Calculations – (sample data tables)

Blood group Frequency Food preference Frequency

Variable Data Median Rank

Sr. no. IQ scores Marks

Person Income (per month) Time taken to solve a puzzle (in

5. Report writing – APA format

1. It should not be more than 12 words.

1. Should not be more than 120 words.

1. First word after full stop and Colon.

1. Titles of books, periodicals, microfilms.

B. Practice Exercises – Two exercises

1. A sample Experimental Situation is given below,

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of exercise on improvement of immune

2. A sample set of Variables is given below,

Consumption of food (Nutritious vs Junk) on aggressive behavior in middle childhood

C. One Practice Experiment

Practice experiment – Anchoring and Adjustment

Question no. Anchor Estimate high/low Actual estimated no.

Mean estimated percentages

P’s High anchor Low anchor

1. On an average, what percentage of typing is done with the left hand?

D. Two Experiments in Cognitive Processes

A. The Automatic Vigilance Experiment

TITLE: The Automatic Vigilance Experiment

OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF THE VARIABLES:

Name (Optional) Age Class Emotional State

Apparatus and Materials

Colour naming time in seconds No. of words recalled

Undesirable trait words Desirable trait words

Undesirable trait words Desirable trait words

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

Undesirable trait words

Row Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4

1 Red modern Pink cruel Brown Violent Green unforgiving

2 Green unknown Blue biased Red boastful Brown brutal

3 Brown harmless Green listless Blue dismissive Orange conniving

4 Pink careful Red incapable Orange Rough Blue mean

5 Orange undemanding Brown quarrelsome Green Selfish Pink jealous

6 Blue realistic Orange bossy Pink merciless Red aggressive

Row Column 5 Column 6 Column 7 Column 8

1 Orange wicked Blue vicious Red Bossy Pink brutal

2 Pink depressed Orange sluggish Green merciless Blue isolated

3 Red isolated Pink apathetic Brown aggressive Green immature

4 Green lonely Brown immature Pink Stingy Red incapable

5 Blue ruthless Red dull Orange intolerant Brown selfish