Assessing Demographic Factors as Correlate Between Social Interaction and Memory Development Among Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Kaduna North, Nigeria

Abstract

Social interactions that babies and early children have with other people have a significant impact on how well their memories develop. This study assesses demographic factors, social interaction and memory development among adolescents in secondary schools in Kaduna North. Cross sectional survey design was employed using two instruments; Working Memory Questionnaire (WMQ) and Social Interaction Scale to collect data from the participants in some selected secondary schools in Kaduna North of Kaduna State, Nigeria, Government Secondary School Independent Way, Adeyemo Secondary Schools, Katsina Road Baptist Secondary School and Taiwo Road all in Kaduna North, Nigeria. Random sampling technique was used to select male and female participants from the ages of 11-20 years from JSS 3- SS 3. Two hypotheses were tested using independent t-test. Hypothesis one analysis of the data revealed a no statistically significant results in General memory functioning t(174)= -0.493, P > 0.05; Retrospective functioning t(174)= 0.836, P > .05; Frequency of forgetting t(174)= -0.067, P > .05; Frequency of forgetting during reading t(174)= -0.914, P > .05; Remembering past events t(174)= 0.245, P > 0.05 and Mnemonics usage t(174)= 0.104, P > 0.05 have no difference between students age 10- 14 years and students between 15-19 years on memory development among adolescents in Secondary Schools Students in Kaduna State. In other words, this hypothesis was not confirmed significant in this study. Hypothesis two results revealed a no statistically significant [t(174)= -
0.018, P > 0.05] difference between male and female students in social interaction in Kaduna State. In other words, this hypothesis was not confirmed significant in this study. The study concludes that there is age and gender difference in memory development and social interaction among adolescents in Secondary Schools in Kaduna State. It recommends that communication should be intensified in the family between the parents and children as communication is the central quality of the human social environment.