Individual Differences

Many effects in memory, and psychology in general, are presented as universal, applying to everyone at all times and in all places. However, there are important differences among individuals in how they process and recall information. For instance, demographic differences, such as age, gender, and culture of origin, may have an impact on how we remember; other dimensions of individual difference may be intelligence, creativity, and motivation. Some of these differences are related to biology, others are related to the social environment, and some differences are related to both.

For this assignment, you will research how one of these variables can change how people experience a learning situation-for example, learning a foreign language, remembering the names of people at a party, or studying for a biology exam or other academic test. Think how this dimension could explain the differences between your own experiences and those of others you know.

Your assignment should include the following:

1. Describe a learning context of interest related to cognitive psychology, such as learning a foreign language, studying for an exam, or remembering names at a party.

· Describe the types of memory and learning involved and the memory and learning problems involved (for instance, problems with memory such as forgetting, amnesia, and the tip-of-the-tongue effect).

· Write a case study where two people learn and experience a learning situation differently. Note that you can contrast circumstances involving memory deficits and also circumstances of exceptional performance.

2. Find at least three peer-reviewed research articles that help you understand individual learning differences. In other words, how could the result change due to individual differences, such as age, gender, or culture?

· Summarize these sources.

· Apply the scholarship you have found to explain how the individuals in your case study learn and remember differently.

· Describe the methods and measures used in research that seek to understand individual learning differences.

3. Explain how you would apply the knowledge you have gained regarding individual differences, learning, and memory in your personal or professional life.


Note: Strive to be as concise as possible and limit the length of your completed assignment to no more than 5-6 pages, excluding the title page and reference page. Support your statements and analyses with references and citations from at least three academic resources.

Submission Requirements

Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.

APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to APA (6th edition) style and formatting.

Number of Resources: At least three citations.

Length of paper: 5-6 pages not including a title page and a reference page. The reference page should include all sources and the references of the original media pieces.