Verbal Learning Experiment
Objective: To study the effect of meaningfulness of the material on verbal learning
using lists of nonsense syllables and meaningful words.
Basic Concept: (to be written in detail from the NCERT)
Definition of learning
Definition of verbal learning
Methods used to study verbal Learning
• Paired Associates
• Serial Learning
• Free Recall
Determinants of Verbal learning
Primacy and Recency Effects
Category Clustering
Hypothesis: The number of trials taken to learn the list of nonsense syllables will be
more than that for the list of meaningful words.
Independent Variable: The meaningfulness of learning material. This independent
variable is manipulated by preparing two lists: List A (meaningful words) and List
B (nonsense syllables).
Dependent Variable: Learning which is measured by the number of trials taken to
learn each of the two lists.
Control Variables:
1. The room was well lit.
2. The noise levels were kept constant.
3. The subject was seated comfortably
4. Proper rapport was established before the experiment began
5. Duration of exposure to each word was kept the same.
6. Size and colour of the cards were kept the same.
7. Font, size and colour of the words on the cards were identical.
Materials Required:
1. List A: 15 three-letter meaningful words from five categories (3X5=15)
2. List B: 15 three-letter nonsense syllables consisting of a consonant-vowel-
consonant each.
3. Paper
4. Pen
5. Stopwatch
(Words of List A and List B will be presented on a new page.)
Design: The experiment was designed in such a way that the List A of meaningful
words was shown to the subject, where each word was presented for 15 seconds
each. Then the subject was asked to recall whatever words they remembered from
the list in any order (free recall) within 60 seconds. This process was repeated till all
16 words were correctly recalled for two successive trials. A similar procedure was
carried for the other list.
Preliminary Information:
Name:
Age:
Class:
Gender:
Date of conduction:
Place of conduction:
Rapport Formation: The subject was called to the conduction room and made to feel
comfortable. They were told that we would be doing a very simple activity and
that there was no need to be worried about. They were also assured that their
details would be kept confidential. They were offered water and any other queries
were answered.
Instructions: “During the course of this activity, you will be shown two lists of
words. We will begin with List A. Each word in List A will be shown to you for 15
seconds each and then you will be given 1 minute to write down the words in any
order. We will keep doing this until you can recall all of the words in the list
without any errors for two consecutive times.”(Similar instructions were given for
List B)
Verbal Report: (You will ask your subject to write down what they thought about the activity
and how they felt while they were doing it. You will write this down (within quotes) exactly
like theysaid it.)
Behavioural Observation: (Here, you will write down whatever you have observed about
your subject and their behaviour during the time that the experiment was conducted.)
Results:
List Total No. of
Trials
List A
List B
Interpretation
The aim of the present experiment was to study the effect of meaningfulness of the
material on verbal learning using lists of nonsense syllables and meaningful
words.
For List A (Meaningful Words), the subject took trials to successfully recall the
list twice in a row. (Then state whether category clustering was observed in the trials. You
can also explain what the pattern was.)
For List B (Nonsense Syllables), the subject took trials to successfully recall the
list twice in a row. (State whether the primacy effect or the recency effect was observed in
the recall.)
It was hypothesized that the number of trials taken to learn the list of nonsense
syllables will be more that for the list of meaningful words. It was found that the
subject took ___trials to recall List A (Meaningful Words) and trials to recall List
B (Nonsense Syllables). Thus, the hypothesis was confirmed/not confirmed.
Conclusion:
It was found that the subject took trials to recall List A (Meaningful Words)
and trials to recall List B (Nonsense Syllables). Thus, the hypothesis was
confirmed/not confirmed.
References
NCERT Grade 11 Psychology Textbook
Annexure
Paste the slips with the subject’s recall for each trial for both lists on separate sheets.
Put your flash cards in a small envelope, and paste the envelope. Attach it with the practical.
