Kristin Burggraf, psychology major in the NSU Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, presented her co-authored research poster at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society in Seattle, Washington, Nov. 3–6, 2011.
The results of the research, titled “The Role of Categorization in Memory,” imply that a person who can categorize and describe a symbol or object will have an improved chance of recalling that symbol or object in the future. The results may help provide a better understanding of childhood amnesia, when an adult is unable to recall a childhood event because he or she hadn’t yet developed the ability to describe the event.
Burggraf co-authored the research with biology major Logan Armstrong. The undergraduate students worked under the guidance of faculty advisers W. Matthew Collins, Ph.D., assistant professor in the college, and Leanne Boucher, Ph.D., assistant professor in the college.
Both Burggraf and Collins attended the conference with support from the college’s Office of the Dean. The research was also supported by a 2010 Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Mini Grant.