Introduction:

Digital technology has fundamentally changed our access to information, prompting an important inquiry into its cognitive consequences. As digital devices become increasingly popular, concerns also arise regarding their impact on student’s learning abilities, notably memory retention. This study is motivated by the "Google effect," a term coined by Sparrow et al. (2011), which suggests that easy access to online information may discourage users from encoding and retaining that information in memory. Contrary to digital mediums, traditional print media is predicted to foster deeper cognitive engagement, potentially enhancing memory retention due to the physical interaction and linear navigation it necessitates.

Given the pervasive integration of digital technologies into educational institutions, understanding the comparative effects of digital and print information access on memory is crucial. This proposal aims to explore these effects across two distinct age groups: young adults and teenagers, as well as two kinds of information, which are textual information and pictorial information. The investigation is grounded in prior research that has identified various factors influencing memory, including age (Salthouse, 2009; Park, 2016), mental health (Kizilbash et al., 2002; Aprilia & Aminatun, 2022), and the medium of information access (Kang, E. 2023). By examining how these variables interact, the study seeks to contribute valuable insights into the optimization of learning strategies in the digital age.

Design:
The study will utilize a 2x2 factorial design, analyzing the effects of information access method (digital vs. printed book) and participant age group (young adults aged 20-30 vs. teenagers aged 14-18) on memory retention. To ensure this effects are true on different formats of information studied, this study will include two types of information most commonly employed at schools, which are textual information and pictorial information. Memory retention will be assessed through standardized recall and recognition tests, after a 20-minute distraction period after the learning period, allowing for a direct comparison of the efficacy of digital and print mediums in facilitating information retention.

Participants:
One hundred participants will be equally divided into two age groups(teenager vs young adults), ensuring a balanced representation. Recruitment for teenagers will be conducted through educational institutions such as middle schools and high schools, while young adults will be recruited through social media platforms, with informed consent obtained from all participants. Individuals with diagnosed cognitive impairments or those undergoing treatments known to affect memory, such as depression and others, will be excluded to maintain the integrity of the data.

Materials:
The study materials will be articles and pictures on topics selected for their complexity and unfamiliarity to the general population, ensuring they require active engagement to comprehend. However, the difficulty levels should also be appropriate so that all participants should be able to understand, disregarding the differences of their age. Pilot tests should be conducted to make sure the quality and difficulty of this information is appropriate for the study. What’s more, all participants recruited should confirm that they have no prior knowledge of the materials to be studied, which could be done through screening tests.

During the study, these materials will be presented in both digital format, accessed through a custom-designed, interactive website, and traditional print format, provided as hardcopy books. The content will be identical across formats to control for content variability.

Procedure:
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four groups, defined by age and information access method. Therefore, the four groups will be named, respectively as, “teenager-book”, “teenager- digital”, “youngadult- book”, and “youngadult- digital”. Each group will undergo a study phase where they interact with the materials in their assigned format. Following this, a 20 minute distraction session will be arranged between the study session and test session. Then, participants will complete a series of tests designed to measure their immediate recall and recognition of the studied information. The environment will be standardized across groups to minimize external variables affecting the outcome. The first round of experiment will be done using textual information, following another round of the same procedures with pictorial information.

Results:

The research will first collect the data through the table. Then, we will present the result by drawing a bar graph, the horizontal coordinate is the accuracy, and the accuracy will be divided into three intervals, zero to 30 percent, 30 to 60 percent (excluding 30 percent), and 60 to 100 percent (excluding 60 percent). The vertical coordinate is the correct number of people, 10-50 people, in the unit of 10 people, and the data of 4 groups are presented on the above.

And for more accurate data analysis, expected results will be analyzed using a Two-Way ANOVA to explore the main effects of the information access method and age on memory retention, as well as any interaction between these factors. It is hypothesized that participants accessing information through print media will demonstrate better memory retention compared to their digital counterparts. What’s more, an interaction effect is anticipated, suggesting that the impact of the information access method on memory retention may vary by age group, potentially reflecting differing levels of familiarity  with digital technologies. In addition, it is expected that these effects are found in both rounds of experiments using the two types of information, which are textual and pictorial.

Discussion:

This research aims to shed light on the cognitive impacts of the digital transformation of information access. If the hypothesis be confirmed, the findings will underscore the cognitive advantages of traditional print media in promoting memory retention and highlight the necessity for educational strategies that consider the cognitive implications of digital information consumption. Moreover, the anticipated age-related differences in the effects of information access methods could inform targeted educational interventions that cater to the specific needs and predispositions of different age groups.

Acknowledging the limitations of this study, including its focus on short-term memory and the artificial setting of the experimental procedure, future research is encouraged to explore long-term memory retention and to replicate the study in more naturalistic settings. Additionally, further investigation into the qualitative aspects of information engagement across digital and print media could provide deeper insights into the mechanisms underlying the observed differences in memory retention.

By contributing to the understanding of how digital and print information access influences memory across age groups, this study aims to inform the development of educational practices and policies that harness the benefits of digital technologies while mitigating potential drawbacks. As we move on in the digital age with information becoming increasingly accessible, fostering a balanced approach to information consumption will be crucial in preserving and enhancing cognitive functions, particularly memory retention, in learners of all ages.

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