KINESTHETIC MEMORY - VERBAL AND VISUAL INTERFERENCES

Purpose. The aim of our research was to find out whether verbal communication may disturb processing kinesthetic information in short term memory. When human being makes a movement very often receives additional information e.g. verbal or visual from different sources (colleague, trainer, teacher, etc). When our short-term memory is occupied by kinesthetic information, does verbal or visual information disturb the processing of kinesthetic? According to Miller theory (1956), short-term memory has limited capacity (7 +/- 2 elements). However some suggests that only 4 elements (Cowan, 2001). Basic procedures. In our research participated 60 subjects. 30 men and 30 women were randomly divided into two groups consisted of 15 men and 15 women each. To evaluate whether there are any differences between groups we did CORSI test, which measures the capacity of direct memory and ability to implicit learning. The main test for kinesthetic memory was Latinek' motor capability test, which consisted of 13 movement sequences. Sequences were presented on TV screen. The task for participants was to re-produce all sequences in order that they were presented. In addition to Latinek' test, in experimental group were presented 6-digits number before Latinek's test. After reproducing movement sequences subjects recalled the number. While watching sequences on TV screen, subjects from experimental group were asked to listen to rhymed verses, which described the movement. Subjects reproducing the movement were to listen these verses again. Main findings. We found differences between experimental and control group. Conclusions. As an assumption of our experiment we formulated a few conclusions: verbal information given to a learner may disturb processing of kinesthetic information.