Project #UR024
Project Number: UR024
Project Title: Gender, Memory, and Appearance Accuracy
Faculty Sponsor: Terry Horgan
Department: Psychology
Telephone: 810.237.6621
E-Mail: thorgan@umflint.edu
Proposed Starting Date: 9/01/2009
Proposed Ending Date: TBD
Student in mind: Yes
Number of hours to work per week: 1-6 hours
Project Description: Previous research has shown that women remember what people look like better than men do (i.e., superior appearance accuracy)(Horgan, 2004).
The purpose of the current research is to investigate whether women also recall changes in the appearance of others better than males do.
Students will participate in an experiment in which they will watch a videotape of two targets (man and woman) interacting (the sound will be off). The tape will be stopped halfway through the interaction. Participants will then be asked what they think the targets were discussing. Afterwards, the tape will be restarted. (The dress and physical features of both targets are different for this part of the interaction.) At the conclusion of the tape, participants will complete a true-false/multiple-choice questionnaire that assesses their recognition memory for changes in the man's and the woman's appearance.
Student Tasks & Responsibilities: The student will conduct a literature search, help prepare for (e.g., getting the research materials ready for the study, such as the questionnaires) and run the study (i.e., act as the experimenter), and collect and analyze the data using SPSS (Note: the professor will provide SPSS training to the student).
Minimum Student Qualifications: