The paper is dedicated to researching the relationship between the working memory of human beings and their non-conscious experiences. The study sets the objective of filling the gap in research on visual working memory’s (VWM) executive function and consciousness while offering a new system of methods adapted from numerous studies in the research field. The researchers used an operational structure adapted from Bergström and Eriksson’s experiment, which allows determining that the processes of the working memory can take place independently from conscious awareness. The study entails the participation of 40 subjects that will undergo an experiment drawn from the previously-mentioned study, while trials will be carried out in conscious, non-conscious, and baseline conditions.
The main advantage of the study is that it is innovative and uses the adapted experiment from Bergström and Eriksson aimed explicitly at exploring the role of executive function. If the study achieves its goals, the unconscious working memory function will be determined with the help of selection recognition of the presented visual items, which offers high chances for all trials across various levels. In addition, the study can be beneficial for promoting further research in the identified area to determine whether all components of working memory, which is short-term memory, can occur unconsciously, not only VWM.
The structure of the proposal follows the logical layout, beginning from the background of the issue through the methodology to problem significance and research innovation. However, there is a significant section missing from the paper, which includes a review of the literature. For a research proposal, a literature review is important for summarizing, analyzing, categorizing, as well as comparing the most important works, which means that there is no need to cover everything that has been written. While the researchers mention the fact that there is a gap in studies, they do not provide evidence that can help illustrate such a gap by outlining the strengths and weaknesses of previous research. Besides, it should be noted that the authors do not mention expected results. At the stage of the proposal, it is possible to put forth arguments and conclusions that the researchers expect to reach. The readers of the proposal should have a better idea of the projected outcomes based on the extent of research at the time of writing, and it is almost guaranteed that they will change as the actual experiment is carried out.
Another notable limitation of the proposal is that the researchers do not offer the timeline component that could show the readers that the project will be completed within the set timeframe. Establishing a timeline is also beneficial for developing a series of goals that will need to be met for completing all aspects of the thesis, beginning from initial research to editing the final version of the study. The timeline can also factor in other activities related to research, ranging from publications to conferences, if applicable. It is recommended to include the timeframe because it will help the researchers stay up-to-date with their short-term goals while also having the option to update it because the document is not static and can change as many times as needed. Overall, the proposal allows us to understand the background and the purpose of the research, but several disadvantages should be addressed to ensure that the paper presents a comprehensive picture of the study.