Experiment Involving Students

In 2011, experiments were conducted by Prof. Betsy Sparrow, as the google effect was analyzed based on the cognitive memory of over one hundred selected Harvard and Columbia University students.

Experiment #1

• 40 different trivia questions were presented, and the students were to type the facts down for themselves
• Half of the group was told that their notes would be saved and could be seen later, while the other half was told that the computer would erase their notes.
• To the students surprise, everyone had their notes erased and were asked to answer the 40 trivia questions.
• As expected, the students who expected to have the facts in front of them, performed worse than the students expected to memorize 

Experiment #2

•  In the next set of experiments, Sparrow used the same method but with statements instead of questions, but this time each statement was placed into a specific folder (for example; facts, items, places).
•  Students were given altered versions of the statements and tested on whether or not they could identify if the statement was altered. They also were asked to identify which folder each statement belonged.
• Once again the students who knew that the information  would be erased performed stronger, but the most intriguing observation was the accuracy in which students could point out which folder each statement belonged.

Observations

• Even though the google effect was supported by the results in the first experiment, the second experiment showed that students ended up knowing the location of where to find specific information a lot better than they knew the information itself