Graduation Year
2013
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Granting Department
Psychology
Major Professor
Kenneth J. Malmberg
Keywords
binaural beats, checkerboard reversal, free recall, human memory, sensory stimulation
Abstract
Previous research suggests that larger context effects are observed when participants are required to search a scene in order to find the to-be-remembered stimuli. Similarly, animal research on brain oscillations has shown theta wave activation when animals are searching their environment. These theta wave oscillations are positively correlated with learning. However, theta activation can also occur in response to sensory stimulation, for example, auditory stimulation with binaural beats or visual stimulation with a checkerboard pattern reversal. The results of several studies suggest that while a visual search task seems to reliably improve free recall performance, the effects of passive sensory stimulation on memory are less consistent. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Scholar Commons Citation
Westfall, Holly Anne, "The Effect of Visual Search and Audio-Visual Entrainment on Episodic Memory" (2013). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/4611
