Research Project about mother nature(Two Parts (Research Proposal and 5 Annotated bibliographies))

Student Name

ACWR 104 (4)

Research Proposal

2/03/2017

Why Did He Forget Our Anniversary?: Gender and Differences in Story and Object Recall Memory

In “The Gender Blur: Where does Biology End and Society Take Over?,” Deborah Blum

meddles with the age old question of nature vs. nurture. In other words, are we born with

innate predispositions and differences, or are we shaped by society’s expectations? This

paper will consider this question, as it relates to memory. Although no one knows exactly

why, it is often argued that the cognitive processes of men and women work differently,

especially where memory is concerned. This paper will address the following question: how

do specific types of memory work differently in men and women? Specifically, I will

examine the differences between story memory and object recall memory. According to

Blum (2007), social context has a huge influence on our lives, but she also admits that there

are some biological differences that set us apart, at least at present. Exploring these diversities

in male and female cognitive processes, including memory, could lead to a better

understanding of how both men and women think and learn. This paper will explore the topic

of gender-specific memory by assuming, like Blum, that there is causality between biology

and society, or that the nature/nurture debate is more complex than we presume. This paper

will take a psychological / neuropsychological approach in order to explain how the cognitive

processes work.

Explicit memory (memories which can be consciously recalled) can be divided into two

categories: episodic memory and semantic memory. This paper defines episodic memory as

the memory of autobiographical events and semantic memory as the memory of meanings and

other concept-based knowledge (Blum, 2007, p.143). Beginning with background information

about specific types of memory and how they function, this paper will use empirical evidence

such as statistical data, as well as observational records documenting the frequency of use of

story versus object recall memory in men and women, in order to support its central argument.

Supported by research which defines the differences between male/female cognitive

processes, I will argue that there are also specific differences in male/female memory recall.

Comment  [ART1]:  Remember  to  label  your  work  with  your  full   name,  section  number,  title  of  assignment,  and  date  –  use  1.0  line-­‐ spacing  for  this  section  

Comment  [ART2]:  Give  your  proposed  paper  an  original  title,   and  center  it  in  the  middle  of  the  page.    Note  how  titles  are   capitalized.  

Comment  [ART3]:  Use  1.5-­‐space  throughout  your  proposal  and   set  margins  to  “normal.”  

Research shows that women are significantly better at remembering past events, while men

are better at object recall.

Sources will include:

Blum, D. (1998). ‘’The gender blur: Where does biology end and society take over?’’. Utne Reader. Retrieved from http://www.utne.com/politics/gender-blur-sex-differences- testosterone-hormones.aspx.

Loftus, E. F., Banaji, M. R., Schooler, J. W., & Foster, R. (1987). Who remembers what?: Gender differences in memory. Michigan Quarterly Review, 26, 64-85.

Herlitz, A., Nilsson, L. G., & Backman, L. (1997). Gender differences in episodic memory.Memory & Cognition, 25(6), 801-811.

Association for Psychological Science. (2008, February 21). Sex Differences In Memory: Women Better Than Men At Remembering Everyday Events. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 23, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080220104244.htm

Elements in the Research Proposal:

•   Title: Give your proposal a specific and succinct title which accurately reflects the topic/focus of your proposed paper.

•   Introduction of topic: Offer a few opening statements which introduce the topic and main text (coursepack text), establish the reader’s interest, and lay the foundation or background information for the problem.

•   Statement of problem/question: Describe the specific problem at hand, your specific area of interest, and introduce your research question.

•   Significance: Explain why your research question is important, referring to one or more of the course texts.

•   Approach/ Framework: Explain how you will approach this topic/question. For example, are there any key viewpoints, theories, concepts, examples, or case studies which will guide your argument? Remember to acknowledge any sources used here, if applicable.

•   Key terms/concepts: Introduce and define key terms/concepts related to your study (remember to acknowledge any sources used here).

•   Research plan: Describe the kind of data, information, or sources you will need to use in order to explore the problem or answer the question.

•   Working thesis: Briefly describe your viewpoint on the issue (your potential argument, or what your hypothetical paper will show).

•   Key sources: At the end of your proposal, please provide a list of at least 3 reliable sources you have found in APA format.

Comment  [ART4]:  Use  1.0  line-­‐spacing  for  reference  lists  in  APA   foprmat