Abstract:
This experiment investigated the effects of imagery, cognitive style, and gender on prospective and retrospective memory. One hundred and sixty (160) participants, comprising 80 males (mean age = 22.54 years) and 80 females (mean age = 21.30 years) were randomly selected using the table of random numbers on a population of 200 third and second year undergraduate students of the Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The stimulus materials used were Group Embedded Figures Test (Oltman, Raskin, Herman & Witkin 1971); and Paired Associate words (Mefoh, 2009). Prospective and retrospective memory were tested using prospective memory test developed by the researcher and paired associate recall test developed by Mefoh (2009). Imagery was manipulated by verbal instruction. The experiment used a 2x2x2 factorial design. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was the main statistic used for data analysis. Result of the data analysis indicated that on prospective and retrospective memory, participants in the imagery condition differed significantly from others in the non-imagery condition (p<.000). Cognitive style had no significant effect on both prospective and retrospective memory. Similarly, gender had no significant effect on both prospective and retrospective memory. There was no interaction effect between any two or all of the independent variables. The implications of the finding were highlighted, limitations were stated and suggestions were made for further studies.
