Causal Conclusions in Memory Research
A researcher investigated the effectiveness of three memory encoding strategies. One hundred fifty high school students were randomly assigned to use either visual imagery, acoustic rehearsal, or semantic processing to memorize a list of vocabulary words. A recall test administered 24 hours later indicated that semantic processing led to the best retention. The researcher concluded that this was because semantic processing involves more elaborate rehearsal than the other methods. Which limitation of the study’s design prevents the researcher from drawing this causal conclusion?
The 24-hour delay was too short to measure true retention
The sample was not representative of the general population
The study’s correlational design cannot determine why semantic processing was more effective
The vocabulary words may have been too difficult
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