Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
Judges, please do NOT pre-judge these abstracts. They should only be used to gain a better
understanding of the projects you will see on State Science Day.
SOCI—Sociology
Mahogany Tyra
Reaction Time with Mints
BEH
BEH
I have decided to determine how a peppermint can affect the way a person reacts to a certain
circumstance, particularly tests. The purpose of me doing this is to find out if peppermints can actually
change how fast a person can react. I am really interested in finding out the correct answer because I
have always wondered why most teachers give their students peppermints RIGHT before a test. People
should care to want to know that peppermints can help a person to concentrate even in a noisy
environment. I have figured out that peppermints DO affect the reaction time of an individual. I have
investigated that when a peppermint is present, then that person will have a greater improvement
rather than if they had anything in their mouth at the time. In order to determine this, I had all of my
volunteers take an online time test. It was kind of like ‘Red Light, Green Light.’ When the light turns
green, then the volunteer would press a key as quickly as possible. I obtained that, even though the
reaction time did decreased, it was not that big of a difference. For example, one of my volunteers
scored a 0.68192 without the use of a peppermint, as to where when the peppermint was present, they
scored a 0.48956. I did, in fact meet my objective. I answered all of my own questions and also
determined if my hypothesis was accurate.
Julia Orloff
Does Age Affect the Effect of a Placebo?
BEH
BEH
The Placebo Effect is defined as the use of a substance containing no medication and prescribed or given
to reinforce a patient’s expectation to get well. producing benefits that must therefore be due to the
patient’s belief in that treatment (‘placebo’). The problem investigated in this experiment was whether
age would affect the effect of a placebo. The experimenters hypothesized, in their alternative
hypothesis one, that adults would be more affected by the placebo. The experimenters tested 26 adults
and 26 high school students by giving them a simple eye test. Within each age group there was a
placebo group and a control group, each composed of 13 subjects. The placebo group performed a nonbeneficial eye exercise before they were given the eye exam. The subjects were told that the eye
exercise would improve their ability to do well on the test; however, in truth there is no correlation
between doing well on the exam and completing the eye exercise. The results of the experiment showed
that the adults were more affected by the placebo, as they did significantly better on the test with the
placebo than the control. Whereas, the high schoolers showed less of a statistical difference between
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
the averages of the placebo and control. The experimenters research shows that the psychological
effect of placebos varies by age.
Dean Orloff
How Does Age Affect Memory?
BEH
BEH
Short term memory is responsible for recalling a series of digits. As people age, the brain changes. This
study investigated the effects of aging on short term memory. A comparison was made between adults
and kids in their early teens. These data suggest that adults have better short term memory than kids.
Avery Garver
Do Mice Like Cheese
BEH
BEHA
My experimental question is, ‘Do mice like cheese’. Most people think that mice like cheese better than
any other food. One of the main reasons that people think this is because a lot of cartoons show mice
loving cheese. The results of my experiment showed that mice actually do not like cheese. The mouse
liked chocolate the best, peanut butter second and bread third best. The cheese was actually her least
favorite. To perform the experiment, first I did not feed my mouse for about a day and then I put equal
amounts of cheese, chocolate, peanut butter, and bread on a tin foil tray in no particular order. Then I
watched the mouse for about 15 minutes to see which food the mouse ate first, second, third, and last.
Once I discovered that mice do not like cheese best, I did research in order to figure this out. I found
that the myth that mice like cheese may have started thousands of years ago. People used to store
grains, meats and cheese in barns and not secure the cheese as well as the other foods. When mice
would get really hungry they would sometimes eat the cheese because it was easy to get too. The mice
would leave teeth marks in the cheese leading people to believe that they seek out the cheese. Next
time I see a cartoon with a mouse loving cheese, I will think of this experiment and know that it’s really
not true.
Vincent Foresta Will clenching fists before memorizing a list of words improve memory? BEH BEHA
The problem investigated was ‘Can clenching hands for forty-five seconds before memorizing a list of
words improve test scores?’ It was hypothesised that Clenching hands would improve test scores. The
materials used to conduct the experiment included a laptop for organization, data tables, four pieces of
printer paper with ten words on each paper, four pieces of notebook paper for the test subject to write
what was learned or remembered and finally a stopwatch for keeping track of time. For the experiment
a data table was set up to show results. Four Pieces of paper were printed with 10 different words on
each sheet of paper. Test subjects were told to clench one or both of their hands for 45 seconds. After
the 45 seconds the test subjects were given 1 minute to memorize a list of words. After 1 minute the
subjects were told to write all of the words that were remembered. After looking at all of the results, I
found that more words were remembered after clenching the right hand. The next highest score was
having the people hold their hands open. People who clenched the left hand or had both hands open
had the worst scores. They tied at 159 words remembered. With the hands being opened people
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
remembered 162 words and with the right hand people remembered 167 words all together. Out of the
800 words that could have been remembered only 647 words were remembered.
Hope Mitchell
Computer-Based Testing vs. Paper-Based Testing
BEH
BEHA
As technology becomes more advanced, people become more apt to use it. There is a major demand for
the use of technology in life. This causes a rise in schools and the education system using more
technology. With the amount of standardized testing rising, there becomes a need for faster testing
methods. Computerized testing is becoming more prevalent due to time restraints and faster scoring.
Although computerized testing seems to be faster, the scores tend to be much lower. Students have a
difficult time focusing on a computerized test than a normal paper test. The purpose of testing whether
computerized tests or paper tests are more effective is to provide a learning point for the education
system. To determine which testing method is best, the conditions of the tests must remain constant.
Morgan Hamby
Does Age Affect Memory?
BEH
BEHA
Have you ever heard people say they are getting older and losing their memory? My project title is,
""Does Age Affect Memory?"" My hypothesis is that age does affect memory. I predict that younger
people have a better memory. I chose this topic because I have always wondered if a person loses their
memory as they age. I researched some information and found out that it takes people who are older a
longer time to process new information.
I tested my experiment by timing volunteers while they completed a memory match game. I used
twenty cards and tested subjects ranging in ages from 6 - 74.
My results were inconclusive because although the majority of the younger age groups scored the faster
times, the youngest volunteer scored the slowest time to complete the memory match game."
Jessica Saki
The Effects of Gender on Delayed Gratification
BEH
BEHA
The purpose of this experiment was to find whether males and/or females would be willing to wait for a
later reward. The question was: When offered both an immediate reward, and a later reward, will males
or females do better waiting for the later reward? The hypothesis tested was: if gender is related to
delayed gratification, then more females will wait for the long term reward over the short term reward,
because females tend to have more self-control. There have been tests on the delayed gratification of
young kids and adults, but not teens, and there are no published tests on the effect that gender has. The
procedures for testing the problem were, first give a piece of candy to each student at the beginning of
class. Next, tell them that if they don’t eat the piece of candy by the end of class, then they will be given
another piece later. Then, leave the classroom. Finally, record who ate their piece of candy and who
didn’t and give the people who didn’t eat their piece of candy another piece. The results remain
inconclusive because the 1% difference of the results between the males and females was too small of a
percentage difference to reject/support the hypothesis. This is due to small sample sizes and a size
difference in the sample sizes. Overall, the males did better waiting for the later reward than females.
This could be used by people who work with teens.
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
Conrad Kleiner
The Effect of Backlit Electronic Devices on Sleep
BEH
BEHA
The purpose of this study is to show the relationship between the use of backlit electronics and sleep
quantity and quality. Two components of sleep were tested: how long it takes to fall asleep and how
many times someone wakes up during the night. This experiment is relevant because light is a major
factor affecting sleep because it suppresses the melatonin in the pineal gland, which allows humans to
perform well and maintain good health. 14 people were used to test this experiment. To begin, each
subject downloaded the iPhone application sleep101. For three nights, each subject used zero minutes
of electronics in the three hours before going to sleep. Each night, right before going to sleep, each
subject pressed ‘Start Tracking’ on the sleep101 iPhone application. They then put their device
facedown next to their pillow and did not turn the phone off. After three nights of zero hours of
electronics, the subjects did this using one hour and then two hours of electronics in the three hours
before going to sleep, for a total of nine nights. From the app, the time to fall asleep and the likely
amount of awakenings were recorded. Generally, the likely awakening amounts were not affected by
the electronic usage time. The time to fall asleep amounts seemed to be influenced by electronics for
certain people, but not for all. The data demonstrates that electronics do influence sleep, but there are
many other factors that depend on each individual person.
Sharla Moody
Is That Your Final Answer?
BEH
CLIN
According to a recent article published by the insurance company Esurance, females are more prone to
road rage and therefore more likely to be involved in car accidents. We came to the conclusion that the
reason for this is because people like to argue and defend themselves when they know that they're
correct. To test this, we gathered a group of people to determine if males or females are more prone to
arguing. We approached individual subjects with five questions and would then argue that the subject
was incorrectly answering when the person was actually correct. We argued that they were incorrect
only for questions 1, 3, and 5. We then tested a control group where we did not argue. We
photographed our experiment. Finally, we recorded our results. The results showed that females are
19% more likely to argue than males, and both males and females displayed agitation when questioned.
Shari Gordnier The Correlation between Risk of Low Self-Esteem in Adolescents and Superhero
Preference
BEH
CLIN
The correlation between an adolescent's self-esteem and their superhero preference, was examined
under the hypothesis: Adolescents will be more likely to suffer from low self-esteem if they have a
higher preference for masked vigilantes than those with a preference for other superheroes. Selfesteem was measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Survey, and superhero preference was
measured using a survey developed by the researcher. Both were then given to adolescents (n=272) and
graded. Results indicated that the category of humans with superhuman abilities had a significant
negative correlation with self-esteem (n(272)=-.123 p<.05). In addition, neither aliens/robots or
gods/goddesses showed a significant trend; however masked vigilantes approached significance
(n(272)=.105 p=.082). Overall, self-esteem did not have a significant trend with superhero preference.
Female subjects were shown to have consistently lower self-esteem. In addition, those in a higher grade
level were shown to have significantly lower self-esteem. In conclusion, individuals with a high
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
preference for humans with superhuman abilities are significantly more likely to suffer from low selfesteem than those who have a high preference for other categories of superheroes.’
Becina Ganther
sensitive measure
Testing theory of mind in autism: development and validation of a more
BEH
CLIN
Most people with autism lack theory of mind, the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and
others. Two current measures for theory of mind have issues. The False Belief Test (FBT)(Wimmer and
Perner 1983) can be passed by individuals with high functioning autism. The Social Attribution Test
(SAT)(Heider and Simmel 1944) is subjectively graded, and the SAT-Multiple Choice (Klin 2000) includes
questions that can skew the results.
The overall goal is to create a more sensitive and unbiased task, the Inanimate Object False Belief Test
(IOFBT). This year’s goal was to validate the IOFBT by determining whether the scores of typically
developing participants on the IOFBT are significantly related to scores on the FBT and SAT.
Participants took all three tests. In the SAT, participants answered questions about a video in which two
triangles and a circle behave in a humanlike manner. In the FBT, participants answered questions about
a doll, ‘Sally’, looking for a marble that ‘Anne’ hid. For the IOFBT, participants answered questions about
a video which combined the SAT and FBT; ‘Sally’ and ‘Anne’ were replaced with shapes.
Anova tests were run on the tests, and there was significant positive correlation between age and the
results on each test. There was also significant positive correlation between scores on the FBT and the
IOFBT, and the SAT and the IOFBT. Future research will compare the performances of typically
developing children and children with ASD.
Meena Chauhan
The Placebo Effect, in relation to caffeine pills vs. placebo pills BEH
CLIN
The placebo effect is a concept that is commonly used in medicine. In this method, a professional will
inform a patient that they are receiving a treatment or substance that has been proven to cure their
problem. However, the treatment or substance actually has no scientific effect. The intended results are
that the patient will believe the doctor and slowly feel as if they are recovering during the process of
treatment. Within this project, the method was tested in relation to caffeine. Test subjects consumed
either a placebo pill or a 200mg pill of caffeine and some groups were told the truth, while others were
not. Their blood pressures, reaction times, alertness, and memory were then tested before and after
taking the pill. The hypothesis for the project was that regardless of what the test subjects are told, the
human body will react to the caffeine tablet. The blood pressure, alertness, memory, and reaction time
will increase. The placebo will have no effect on the subjects and they will react in the same manner as
the group who received no treatment at all. The results in the end were such that the placebo effect did
impact the test subjects' reaction times, alertness/memory scores, and how they felt. However, the
blood pressure was not at all affected by what the subjects were told. Overall, this experiment has
proved that placebos can, in fact, largely impact the human brain and body.
Christopher Lee
Paper or Screen Learning - How do Students Remember Best? BEH
5
COGN
Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
Increasingly, students are using computer screens for reading and learning. Do students remember
more words on paper or on a screen, and does text color affect the memory process? The hypothesis for
this research was that students would remember more colored words on paper than black words on
paper or screen (using Chromebooks), and colored words on screen. Fifty-six, fifth-grade students took
four tests (each test had 20 black or color words from fourth-grade spelling lists): black text on paper,
black text on screen, colored text (red, green, blue, orange) on paper, and colored text on screen. For
each test, students had two minutes to memorize 20 words. Thirty minutes later, students had two
minutes to circle the 20 words they were asked to memorize from a group of 50 words. On average,
students remembered more words on paper tests than on screen (28.407 vs. 25.888). Students
remembered, on average, more black words than color words (28.852 vs. 25.444). The hypothesis was
partly correct because students remembered more words on paper than on screen. However, the
hypothesis was incorrect because students remembered more black words compared to color. Results
from all tests showed students, on average, remembered 15.944 black words on paper which is 24.72%
more words remembered compared to the other three tests. Based on these results, schools using onscreen text books or reading comprehension tests may want to reconsider as students remember more
of what they see on paper than on a screen.
Brett Dobransky
Does chewing gum influence overall mental focus and ability? BEH
COGN
This question was asked to see if chewing gum increases your overall mental performance. The
hypothesis was, if the results of the two tests, while chewing gum and not chewing gum, are compared,
then the results when the subjects chewed gum will have higher scores than without. The experiment's
controls were the gum's brand, the gums flavor, the amount of time given for the tests, the amount of
time between the tests, the same two tests given, in the same room people were tested in. The
independent variable of the experiment was if the subject was chewing gum while taking the test or not.
The dependent variable of the experiment was the scores of the gum test and the no gum test. The
dependent variable was measured by how many pictures you got right on the test. The results of the
experiment was that chewing gum does influence over all mental focus and ability. 24 subjects got a
higher score when they chewed gum rather than when they did not chew gum. The average of the test
without gum was 5.4 and the average of the test with gum was 6.27 pictures correct. The experiment
could possibly be changed by testing the affects of different flavors of gum. In conclusion, chewing gum
is an excellent way to improve your focus and scores on tests. Be sure you study though, or even gum
can't help you.
Chad Brechbuhler
Memory and Personality: Forgetful Phlegmatics
BEH
COGN
Recently people have been studying memory, from how to improve it, to who has the best one. Now I
have something to add to the discussion, how does personality effect memory. This project looks at
which of 4 personality types has the best memory. The test subjects took a test to determine their
personality(independent variable), and then they took a test in which they had to remember letters to
determine their memory strength( dependent variable). My hypothesis was if a melancholic personality
type is tested, then they will have a better short term memory than the other 3 types. My hypothesis
proved to be correct after looking at my graphs and data. The melancholic personality scored average
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
scores of 100%, 100%, 75%, 82%, 65%, and 21% on the different test levels. Also I found out that the
other 3 personality types always scored similarly, within 10% of each other. I believe this experiment
was a success, but I would have liked to have tested more people from each personality type making it
the same number from each group. Although overall I think this was a good experiment."
Megan Wertz Male and Female Scores on Stroop Test.
BEH
COGN
The project that was done was the Stroop test. Stroop test is finding that naming the first set of words is
faster and easier than the second. It shows that the name of the color is different than the color printed.
The hypothesis was. If males and females are given the same Stroop test, than females will perform
slower with less mistakes. The purpose of this project is to determine which gender is smarter when it
comes to using the frontal lobe to take a Stroop test. The control variables were the age range (13-14),
timer, environment, and tests taken. The independent variable in the experiment is gender (males and
females). The dependent variable is the Stroop test, which was timed by a phone timer. The results of
this experiment proved the hypothesis to be incorrect but also correct. It is incorrect because females
performed faster than males, not slower. Females average time was 18.27 seconds and males average
was 21.02 seconds. The hypothesis is correct because females performed with less mistakes than males.
Females average number of mistakes was .5 and males was 2.2 mistakes. If this experiment was to be
done in the future older people should be tested because their frontal lobes are fully developed and the
results would be more accurate.
Tommy Gress
Spatial Organization
BEH
COGN
Have you ever heard of the game Minecraft? It’s one of the most popular games in the world, with over
60 million copies sold, according to the official Minecraft website. The game involves building structures
and making patterns using cubes while trying to survive the monsters that appear at night.
We learned about spatial orientation from faa.gov and decided to use it in our science experiment
because Minecraft seems to involve a lot of it. We wondered if people who play Minecraft have better
spatial orientation than people who don’t play. We thought that people who play would have better
spatial orientation.
In order to test our hypothesis, we gathered 9 children from the ages of 12-13 who played Minecraft
regularly and 9 children from the ages of 12-13 who have never played Minecraft. We had then had
them take a survey about Minecraft and video games before having them take a spatial orientation test
online, which was created by the National IQ Society.
Our data showed that the children who played Minecraft had a higher average score than the average
score of the children who didn’t play. Our conclusion was that our hypothesis was correct. People who
play Minecraft do have better spatial orientation than people who don’t play.
Arushi Badola Brain Busters: Perception, Psychology, and Parts of the Brain
BEH
COGN
Our project is a study of the brain (psychology, perception, parts of the brain). This topic’s very
important because it’s the powerhouse of our body and to learn about its functions we decided to
accentuate on these areas.
In order to learn more about our areas, we investigated two comparisons which included visual and
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
auditory. The first experiment tested different genders’ and ages’ views of illusions. Our hypothesis
stated that regardless of gender/age the darker image would be recognized first. For our second
experiment, we compared the hearing of the hearing impaired and those with auditory ability. Our
hypothesis for this was that the greater the distance, between the person and the sound, the less they’ll
hear.
Our materials included tape, a meter stick, websites, a classroom, and a radio. For the illusion for three
seconds saying which image was seen first. For the hearing experiment people (hearing impaired and
hearing able) backed up in a measured room until the music was no longer hearable.
The results concluded that the majority saw equally black and white. For the auditory experiment, those
hearing able backed up further than those hearing impaired but, sound waves were felt more by those
hearing impaired.
We have drawn from these experiments that age, gender, and ability don’t affect how our brain
processes information. Psychology, perception, and parts of the brain are what make our brain function
and us all unique.
Courtney Cotyk
Brain Busters: Perception, Psychology, and Parts of the Brain
BEH
COGN
Our project is a study of the brain (psychology, perception, parts of the brain). This topic’s very
important because it’s the powerhouse of our body and to learn about its functions we decided to
accentuate on these areas.
In order to learn more about our areas, we investigated two comparisons which included visual and
auditory. The first experiment tested different genders’ and ages’ views of illusions. Our hypothesis
stated that regardless of gender/age the darker image would be recognized first. For our second
experiment, we compared the hearing of the hearing impaired and those with auditory ability. Our
hypothesis for this was that the greater the distance, between the person and the sound, the less they’ll
hear.
Our materials included tape, a meter stick, websites, a classroom, and a radio. For the illusion for three
seconds saying which image was seen first. For the hearing experiment people (hearing impaired and
hearing able) backed up in a measured room until the music was no longer hearable.
Those hearing able backed up further than those hearing impaired but, sound waves were felt more by
those hearing impaired.
We have drawn from these experiments that age, gender, and ability don’t affect how our brain
processes information. Psychology, perception, and parts of the brain are what make our brain function
and us all unique.
Jenna Daulbaugh
The effect of chewing gum on concentration
BEH
COGN
There are a lot of studies out in the world that states that gum helps people concentrate. The researcher
wanted to know if all of the studies were actually true. So, to investigate the researcher got two puzzles,
some gum, and twenty people. The researcher used puzzles because in order to complete puzzles
people have to concentrate. The hypothesis that the researcher came up with was; If students were
given gum to help them concentrate while doing the puzzle then the gum will have no effect on the
students concentration.
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
Concentration is the action or power of focusing one’s attention or mental effect. Frontal lobes of the
brain are in control of people’s concentration. Concentration is important for many reasons.
Concentration can help with success in life and can teach many lessons. People need to concentrate to
complete many tasks, help remember more, and the inability to concentrate will result in frustration
and stress.
In 1984 the Wrigley Company launched the gum they call Extra. In 2007, the company with some other
companies, became the first chewing gum to receive The American Dental Association’s Seal of
Acceptance, proving the gum helps fight against cavities, strengthen teeth and reduce harmful plaque
acids.In one stick of Extra Peppermint Gum there are five calories, zero grams of fat, two grams of
carbohydrates, and zero grams of protein. Sugar can affect concentration. Even though Extra Gum does
not have that much sugar in it, if someone eats too many pieces in one day the sugar will take effect.
t is heard that the first jigsaw puzzle was made by John Spilsbury, a London engraver and mapmaker, in
1760. The final product was used as a teaching tool in geography for British children. The idea started to
catch on to other schools, and the jigsaw was used for educational purposes only when it was first
invented. The puzzle first got its name by the saw that was used. Although, it was not a true jigsaw. The
saw actually used was called a fretsaw. Puzzles now are made by just gluing an enlarged photo or
illustration onto cardboard.
In order to complete the investigation the researcher had two rounds of testing, one round with people
doing a puzzle with gum and another round with the same people doing a different puzzle but they were
chewing gum that time.
The researcher after completing the experiment realized that the hypothesis they had come up with was
wrong and that gum helped fifty-five percent of the students tested concentrate.
Nicholas Santavicca
Memorizing Color Patterns Boys vs Girls
BEH
COGN
I did this experiment because I would like to know which gender memorizes which color the best. I think
people should care about this experiment because it could help with learning. It could help learning by
instead of giving students black colored words you could give them light or bright ones so they
memorize it even easier. It what help teachers how to best approach teaching their students based on
how each gender learns best.
The problem I investigated was does light or dark contrast of colors affect the way a gender memorizes.
How I went about getting this completed was getting my color sheets printed off, which are rows of light
colors or dark colors in a specific pattern. After that I had to figure out who to test so I went to a
bookstore and interviewed 30 people. The answer I found was partly what I expected, overall boys
scored an average of 8/10 on dark colors and girls memorized an average of 7/10 on dark and a 7/10 on
light for boys and a 6/10 for girls.
This contributes to the field of learning because it will help memorizing flashcards definitions and many
other things. I think the objective was reached because I found out which gender is better at certain
colors."
Brianna Funderburk
Left/Right- Handedness vs. Preferred Learning Style
BEH
COGN
When people learn, they use a variety of methods called ‘learning styles’ that include visual, auditory,
kinesthetic and many more. The purpose of this experiment was to see if right or left handed people
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
prefer different learning styles. It was hypothesized that the most common preferred learning style
between both types of people would be the visual learning style, considering both the right and left
brain deal with computing and analyzing language, pictures and colors. Surveys were given to 25 left and
25 right handed participants. The surveys included 10 statements for each of the three most common
types of learning styles: visual, audio and kinesthetic. The participants rated the statements from one to
three, one saying it does not apply to them, three being it strongly applies to them, and the area with
the highest total was their preferred style of those three groups. It was found that the visual learning
style was prominent in both groups, and both groups had the kinesthetic learning style second more
popular. This supported the hypothesis that visual learning styles are preferred by both right and left
handed people."
Madyson McCabe HUMAN MEMORY AND THE UNRELIABILITY OF EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY
COGN
BEH
Of over 325 wrongly convicted people in the United States, who were later proven innocent through
DNA testing, 75% were convicted through eyewitness testimony. While eyewitness testimony is still a
valuable source of information, human memory according to Dr. Elizabeth Loftus does not work like a
video recorder; you can’t just play things back exactly as they occurred. Memory for a witnessed event
is highly malleable.
I set out to design a means of accurately checking the reliability of one’s memory. I created a website to
examine the effect psychological factors such as leading questions and reconstructive memory has on
eyewitness accounts of events. In addition, I examined the effects of positive reinforcement on an
eyewitness’s memory. One hundred people were chosen at random to take part in a series of three
separate online experiments. Participants were asked to describe details of an automobile accident, a
simulated crime, and facial features of three male subjects.
My results confirm that a person’s memory of events can be influenced by multiple factors. Use of the
verb ‘smashed’ verses ‘collided’ led to the perception that the cars were traveling about 3-4 mph faster
on average. By presenting potential suspects photos individually versus a traditional line-up and
reminding witnesses/participants the perpetrator may not be present; improved accuracy of
identification by nearly 50%. Furthermore when participants were positively reinforced, there degree of
certainty about the accuracy of their identification was increased 25%. By falsely inducing participants
memory one in every five incorrectly identified a suspect.
Sophie Pilon
Do Males or Females Recall Visual Details More Accurately?
BEH
COGN
The purpose of this experiment is to see if males or females recall visual details more accurately. To
conduct this experiment, items such as a football, candles, books, pumpkins, picture frames, and toy
trucks were placed on four book shelves. A two minute video was taken of a person sitting in front of
these shelves, with the person talking occasionally but not constantly. The items on the shelves were
visible within the scope of the camera. Subjects were asked to watch the video and then complete a
questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of ten questions. The first five questions asked the subjects
to recall what they saw on the shelves and what shelf it was located. The next question asked the
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
subject to describe the appearance of the person in the video. The final questions asked the subjects to
rate themselves on their perceived effectiveness and ability to recall information on a routine basis. The
subjects watched the video one time and were not timed when completing the questionnaire.
The experimental results were measured by counting the number of correct details and whether or not
these details were recalled in the correct location (correct shelf) from each of the completed
questionnaires.
The results of the experiment showed that females recalled visual details more accurately.
The results indicate that the hypothesis should be accepted due to that females are expected to do
better as a result of Evolutionary (Hunter-Gather) Theories.
Kylie Bachmann
Does Color Affect Memory?
BEH
COGN
The purpose of this experiment was to investigate whether color affects memory in school-aged
children. It is known in the science field that arousing events have the ability to increase memory,
(Roozendaal 2002), and color has been shown to increase a person’s arousal (Birren, 1950). Therefore,
the hypothesis for this experiment was formed; if color can increase arousal and arousal can increase
memory, then color can increase memory.
Thirty-six subjects, ages 6-14 years, were recruited for this study. Subjects were categorized into three
groups of twelve: group 1: ages 6-8, group 2: ages 9-11, group 3: ages 12-14. Subjects read two lists of
words, in randomized order; one with colored ink and one with black ink. After reading each list for one
minute, subjects wrote down all the words they remembered. The average words remembered for each
list was recorded for each of the age groups.
There was no difference between the average words remembered for the colored list compared to the
black and white list. The results showed that, overall, color does not affect memory. Although my
hypothesis was rejected, I did find that the females, on average, remembered more colored words than
the males by almost 2 ½ words. When the age groups were compared, results showed that memory
increased with age for both word lists.
Baylee March
What is the Effect of Gender on Short Term Memory? BEH
COGN
The purpose of this project was to see if boys and girls have different abilities with short term memory.
To test this I selected twenty participants, half boys and half girls. There were four students from each
grade level tested. There were six pictures in a row that I glued to a poster board. Each student had ten
seconds to look at the poster. After the ten seconds students were asked to recall what pictures they
had seen. In grade one, the boys' average 3.5 and the girls' average was 3.0. In grade two, the boys
averaged 3.5 and the girls' averaged 4.0. In grade three, the boys recalled an average of three pictures
and the girls an average of 5.5 pictures. In grade four the boys recalled an average of 4 and the girls an
average of 5. Grade five results showed that the girls recalled five pictures and the boys 5.5. Overall, the
girls remembered a total of 45 pictures and the boys remembered 38 pictures.
I accepted my hypothesis because I predicted that the girls would do better overall and they did.
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
Kamryn Wurth
Food Packaging on Taste Preference
BEH
COGN
The effect packaging has on consumers was tested in this project. The first observation led to question
which variables affect the products people buy. Packaging was identified as a large potential variable
and was researched and tested. What affect does packaging have on taste preference? It was
hypothesized that switching food packaging would lead individuals to prefer name brand packaging.
The experiment used the same age range participants and two types of cereals to control variables. The
experiment featured two groups. The experimental group in which the packaging was switched and the
control group where the packaging remained the same. 50 surveys were collected for each group and
data tables, bar graphs, and pie charts were used to analyze the data.
The data collected proved that the packaging did affect taste preference. In both groups the name
brand cereal was preferred more often, despite the change in packaging."
Olivia Raczkowski
Are You Left or Right Brained?
BEH
COGN
Most people don’t know of the brain’s many significant functions like thinking and processing, or the
effects our brain has on our judgment. Our brain adapts to an easy way of learning that helps us learn
and is significant to our learning abilities. The four lobes have a great effect on the functions of the
brain. The parietal lobe controls handwriting, reading level, and body positions. The frontal lobe controls
problem solving. Behavior is controlled by the temporal lobe. With my project I have given people
something to ponder, like what way is a great thinking style for them. The left and right brained theory
is that they are both different thinking styles. The right brain thinking style deals with creativity and
many colors or designs. The right brained person would most likely be a free thinker opposed to a left
brained person, who does think freely and thinks in an organized fashion, but does not have a colorful
way of thinking.
My hypothesis was that there are more right brained people than left or whole brained. The best way to
determine this was by a test that showed examples of thinking styles. I tested a group of 15 students.
My results showed me that out of the group of students I tested, most were left brained thinkers than
whole and right brained. The left brained thinkers are more organized and focused (as explained in the
beginning). As a result of my research, I found that the brain has a complex way of thinking and most
people have this ability.
Megan Cui
Color Vs. The Human Mind
BEH
COGN
This project not only studies the certain, impactful effects color can have on you psychologically, but
also can change how you live your daily digital life. It will apply to everyday learning and work, and using
the results developed can greatly increase the efficiency and effectiveness of learning, work, and daily
chores.
The study conducted was based around the question ‘How can color affect the memory, color
association, and physical vision of a human?’ Many scientists hypothesized that such things did have
major effects, but no major studies were conducted. Basing the experiments off of previous claims, the
test was designed to give us insight on patterns that occur with certain colors.
12
Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
Variables present in our experiment were colors and people. Controls include method of presentation,
tests, and time given. We did simpler tests- the three tests took 15 minutes. First, we created
experiments, and next we tested each participant identically. Our 25 participants varied in races, but
their age group was middle school/high school.
The results were conclusive- they showed that 25% more words were memorized in black font rather
than blue. 20% more ideas were associated with the color yellow over purple. 13% more font sizes of
letters were seen when printed in white on brown, rather than red on white.
These results can be applied to learning in schools, study tips, or increasing work effectiveness with the
use of memory. It ultimately brings people one step closer to finding what a color really does to you.
Audrey Crowl
Processing Sentence Paradoxes Adults vs Kids
BEH
COGN
Sentence paradoxes twist people’s logic and force them to think outside of the box. We decided to test
out different age groups ways of thinking. We believe that after people had the opportunity to answer
our questions, they started to think more outside of the box in their daily lives. These are the
hypotheses. If we ask ten adults and ten kids ten sentence paradoxes in the form of a question, then the
average adult should have a more logical way of processing the sentence paradox, whereas the kids
should have a more creative approach. Adults should also take longer to respond due their logical
reasoning skills and more advanced knowledge of the world. The kids’ creative responses should be the
first thing that they think of. Because adults have been exposed to more tests and quizzes, they should
take longer trying to find the correct answer. The first step was to make a list of participants to ask the
paradoxes. Our next step was to ask our participants to evaluate the sentence paradoxes. We recorded
every person’s response and the time for the response to the question. We then determined whether or
not their response was logical or creative. Out of all of the answers, there were more logical answers
than creative and ‘no’ answers overall. There were 129 logical responses, 60 creative responses, and 6
‘no’ responses. The average times ranged from 2.8 seconds to 24.5 seconds. People had to push their
creativity and logic to answer the sentence paradoxes.
Karissa Crisenbery
The Effect of Chewing Gum on Concentration BEH
COGN
The purpose of this experiment was to see if gum helped improve performance on a concentration test
as well as completing it quicker. The results of this experiment can help end the major debate of
allowing gum to be chewed in schools.
The hypothesis for this experiment was chewing gum would improve the results of taking tests as well as
decreasing the length of time needed to take the test because it would help improve concentration and
focus towards the tests resulting in higher scores and an overall average decrease in time.
Sixteen people, between the ages 15 and 17, participating in this project took a concentration test once
with chewing gum and one time without. Twenty-five percent of participants took test A with gum first,
twenty-five percent took test A without gum, twenty-five percent took test B with gum, and twenty-five
percent took test B without gum. After the first time completing the test, the participant then took the
opposite test, with or without gum, from test. Both times the participants took the test they were timed
and graded to see which test was completed the quickest and more importantly the most correct.
When averaging together both tests, the calculations showed tests with gum took 2:30 to complete
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
while taking a test without gum took 2:51 to complete. The difference between these tests is twenty
one seconds. The average correct was very close, but with chewing gum there was 9.75 average correct
answers and without chewing gum it was 9.69 average correct answers. Paired student t-tests showed
no statistically significant differences between these trials. Therefore the hypothesis was not supported.
Derek Luersman
Techniques of Sensory Mnemonics
BEH
COGN
This project involves testing the music, acronym, and rhyme techniques to determine which technique
aids the memory the most. When testing which technique improves memory the most, I have concluded
that neither technique did as good as the control. My test subjects got 40% of the words correct for the
Control list, 39% for Music, 31% for Rhyme, and 28% for Acronym. This was obviously not the same as
my hypothesis, but I believe I know what caused this. People had more time to study the list during the
control, because they did not have to create sensory attachments, unlike the mnemonic techniques. Of
the techniques, the music technique worked the best.
Caroline Barth
Memory Gets a Helping Hand
BEH
COGN
The use of American Sign Language (ASL) has been linked to an increase in short-term memory because
of the visual enhancement cues. The theory that was investigated was if learning ASL would enhance the
ability to remember words. The hypothesis was if a child sees ASL while listening to sentences, then
their short-term memory will be better than those who did not see ASL.
Two groups of children were tested. A brief reading of ten sentences, containing animals was read to
one group of children, then the children took a small test asking them to remember the previous
animals. The second group of children was taught ASL signs for animals, then were signed to while being
read the ten sentences. The children then took the same test asking them to remember the previous
animals.
The experiment produced very similar results for each group of children. Both test groups had the same
test score average. Both groups scored around an average of 90 percent with some slight differences.
The experimenter concluded that in this particular experiment sign language did not seem to help
children remember words said to them previously. This can be applied to the real world by suggesting
studying with new techniques, making studying enjoyable, paying full attention while studying, brief
studying times with breaks, and listening carefully for details."
Alexandra Collins
Processing Sentence Paradoxes: Adults vs. Kids
BEH
COGN
Sentence paradoxes twist people's logic and force them to think outside of the box. We decided to test
out different age groups ways of thinking. We believe that after people had the opportunity to answer
our questions, they started to think more outside of the box in their daily lives. These are the
hypotheses. If we ask ten adults and ten kids ten sentence paradoxes in the form of a question, then
the average adult should have a more logical way of processing the sentence paradox, whereas the kids
should have a more creative approach. Adults should also take longer to respond due their logical
14
Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
reasoning skills and more advanced knowledge of the world. The kids' creative responses should be the
first thing that they think of. Because adults have been exposed to more tests and quizzes, they should
take longer trying to find the correct answer. The first step was to make a list of participants to ask the
paradoxes. Our next step was to ask our participants to evaluate the sentence paradoxes. We recorded
every person's response and the time for the response to the question. We then determined whether
or not their response was logical or creative. Out of all of the answers, there were more logical answers
than creative and "no" answers overall. There were 129 logical responses, 60 creative responses, and 6
"no" responses. The average time ranged from 2.8 seconds to 24.5 seconds. People had to push their
creativity and logic to answer the sentence paradoxes.
Jennifer Zhu
Color vs. the Human Mind
BEH
COGN
This project not only studies the certain, impactful effects color can have on you psychologically, but
also can change how you live your daily digital life. It will apply to everyday learning and work, and using
the results developed can greatly increase the efficiency and effectiveness of learning, work, and daily
chores.
The study conducted was based around the question ‘How can color affect the memory, color
association, and physical vision of a human?’ Many scientists hypothesized that such things did have
major effects, but no major studies were conducted. Basing the experiments off of previous claims, the
test was designed to give us insight on patterns that occur with certain colors.
Variables present in our experiment were colors and people. Controls include method of presentation,
tests, and time given. We did simpler tests- the three tests took 15 minutes. First, we created
experiments, and next we tested each participant identically. Our 25 participants varied in races, but
their age group was middle school/high school.
The results were conclusive- they showed that 25% more words were memorized in black font rather
than blue. 20% more ideas were associated with the color yellow over purple. 13% more font sizes of
letters were seen when printed in white on brown, rather than red on white.
These results can be applied to learning in schools, study tips, or increasing work effectiveness with the
use of memory. It ultimately brings people one step closer to finding what a color really does to you."
Katie Moseley
Colors, Mints and Memory
BEH
COGN
The objective of this project was to determine how different colors and peppermint influence human
memory in different age groups. The latest research showed that both peppermint and specific colors
can either enhance or have a negative effect on memory. Through this research, it was hypothesized
that the color red would have a negative influence on how much information a human could retain and
that peppermint would have a positive effect on memories. This was tested in two different age groups;
adults ages 24-55 and teenagers ages 12-16.
To prove this hypothesis, 28 participants were tested. Half were in the previously described adult age
15
Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
group and half in the teenage age group. They were given 3 tests in the form of short documents to
read. The first was printed in black ink, the second in red ink, and the third in black, but participants
were required to suck on a peppermint while testing. (Black ink served as our control). Participants had
3 minutes to read each document, and then had to answer 10 short response questions from memory
about each one. The documents were distributed in random order and were of equal challenge so that
one article would not receive more of an advantage over the other.
At the end of this project, the data that had been acquired showed that peppermint had the strongest
positive influence on memory in both age groups. Red ink came in second place and the black ink caused
the worst performance in most participants.
Niraj Komatineni
How Does Age Affect Time Perception
BEH
COGN
Before testing, we believed that the age group of 30-39 years would have the closest to exact time
perception based on research we found on the development of the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and
frontal cortex. After testing subjects of each age group, we reject our hypothesis because we found that,
on average, people of the 10-19 age group were about 20 seconds off of the five-minute goal, or 6.45%
off. Our hypothesis of 30-39 years came closest to this age group, with an average of 31 seconds off of
five minutes, or 10.33% off. However, our hypothesis that the under 10 years and over 60 years would
come farthest away from five minutes held true, with these age groups 30.33% off (60+) and 36% off
(under 10). One factor we believe may have contributed to the 10-19 group coming closest in our test
was that the frontal cortex does a lot of development in the teen years. This leads us to believe that the
frontal cortex might have a greater impact on this type of time perception than other parts of the brain
that develop at later years.
In addition to answering our question, we decided to find trends of each age group, mainly if the group
was collectively above or below the five-minute mark. To do this, we calculated the mean of our data
and found that the average of all participants to be 5:00.35. Next, we compared the averages of each
age group to this and found that the under 10, 50-59, and 60+ age groups were all under the average
time, in that order with under 10 being the farthest under. That left the 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and 10-19
age groups to be above the average time, in that order with 20-29 being the farthest over. "
Isabella Guinigundo
The effects of background noise on comprehension
BEH
COGN
In order to understand how background noise affects concentration, one must first understand how the
brain is structured and the processes of hearing and comprehending. It was hypothesized that if
students were asked to answer reading comprehension questions with and without background noise,
the students working without background noise would answer more accurately. The subjects were
divided into two groups, one that listened to background noise, and one that did not. Next, they were
asked to complete a reading comprehension paper within 6 minutes. The experiment showed that the
non background listening group was able to answer the questions more accurately. They scored 90% or
9 out of 10 answers on the comprehension paper and the the background noise listening group was 77%
or 7.7 correct answers on the comprehension paper. These results supported the original hypothesis
that the non background noise listening group would score higher than the background noise listening
group. This information is important for teachers and students to better understand how their brains
work.
16
Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
Scott Shepherd
How Does Age Affect Time Perception?
BEH
COGN
Time always seems to change. This inspired us to find out why, and how, your perception of time
changes as you get older. Three main parts of the brain contribute to a person’s time perception--the
basal ganglia, cerebellum, and frontal cortex. We designed this experiment in order to find development
and deterioration of these parts in relation to aging. Participants were asked to enter a room, with no
time-knowledgeable devices, and exit the room when they believed five minutes had passed. Times
were recorded, along with a person’s age group, starting in multiples of ten from under 10 to 60+. No
contact information or names were recorded with these times or ages. Before testing, we believed that
the age group of 30-39 years would most accurately perceive time based on development of the above
brain areas. After testing subjects of each age group, we reject our hypothesis because we found that,
on average, people of the 10-19 age group were about 20 seconds off of the five-minute goal, or 6.45%
off. However, our hypothesis that the under 10 years and over 60 years would come farthest away from
five minutes held true, with these age groups 30.33% off (60+) and 36% off (under 10). From this data,
we can infer that the brain parts dealing with the form of time perception we tested develop during the
teen years, as the teen age group had the closest to exact time perception.
Allyson Nguyen
The Effect of Typefaces on Reading Comprehension
BEH
COGN
There is currently many people in the world that lack the necessary skills to comprehend dense text.
Literary comprehension is a core to all academic disciplines. Therefore this experiment can discover if a
certain characteristic of a typeface, whether it is serif of monospaced, will ease comprehension
levels.The purpose of this research is to determine a link between literary comprehension and
typefaces. Typefaces are defined as the distinct shape of a set of letters, numbers, and punctuation
marks. 22 students participated in the experiment, by taking a five multiple choice question quiz that
was either using Lucida Console or Times New Roman. By collecting scores based on the student’s
accuracy, this experiment determined a greater variability of scores with the use of Lucida Console.
Therefore the use of a sans-serif, monospaced font will provide more variability in contrast to a serif,
proportional pitched font. Although, with the use of a t-test (p = 0.19) both of the independent variables
showed little significance therefore rejecting the null hypothesis.
Noah Sediqe
Perception of Parental Pressure to Succeed on Grades BEH
COGN
This study hoped to find the possible connection between perception of parental pressure and grades to
help cultivate academic success. It still remains undetermined whether parental pressure has a
significant role in predicting their children’s grades. For this reason, 53 freshman and sophomores from
Sylvania Southview High School were surveyed. These surveys asked for what their GPA was and how
much parental pressure they perceived from their parents to succeed. It was hypothesized that if a
student perceives a higher level of pressure from their parents, then that student will have higher
grades. A simple regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between the
variables. This was not supported by data however (p=0.1684). Research branching off of this study
17
Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
could explore to what extent perception of parental pressure to succeed impacts academic success for
students from different socioeconomic statuses.
Christian
Percentage
McKinney
How Different Types of Music Affects Your Basketball Shooting
BEH
COGN
The hypothesis was when shooters listen to the faster song their percentage of shots made would be
greater than when listening to a song with a slower tempo or no song. The test was performed to see
how different types of music affect the number of baskets made when shooting a basketball. This was
tested by having subjects shoot basketballs from five different positions. In one trial, subjects listened to
no music and in other trials they listened to songs with different tempos. The conclusion of the
experiment was that the hypothesis was supported and subjects did in fact shoot a better percentage
when listening to a song with a faster tempo. Total percentage of shots made varied from 47% to 53%
overall subjects shot second best with no music
Autumn Jermeay
Computer vs. Paper Testing
BEH
COGN
The purpose was to determine whether students scored better on computer tests or paper copy tests.
This is important because the state of Ohio is issuing online PAARC tests when similar tests have been on
paper in the past. Data gained from this experiment will be useful to students and teachers by letting
them know in which form of testing students excel. The hypothesis of this experiment was that all test
subjects would perform better on traditional paper copy testing and would not perform as well on
computer tests.
Experimenters consulted with math teachers from grades 4, 6, 8, and 10, to make a ten
question math test to the skill level of the students. Experimenters composed a paper version and
computerized version for each grade. The subjects were composed of a random sample of males and
females. Experimenters rearranged the numbers from the paper copy test for the computer copy. Test
results of each subject were paired together for final results. Experimenters finally conducted a student
t-test to find the significance of the data.
The 4th graders scored better on the paper tests with an average 80% correct versus 62% correct on the
computer test. There was a statistical significance of p=0.012. The 6th graders also scored better on the
paper test with 70% correct versus 57% correct on the computer test. These results were significant
with a value of p=0.039. The 8th graders were the only subjects that did not support the hypothesis. The
average score on paper tests was 64% correct, while the average score on the computer test was 75%
correct. There was also a statistical significance where p=0.017. The 10th graders supported the
hypothesis with an average of 61% correct on paper and only 36% correct on the computer tests. Their
results were also statistically significant with a value of p=0.004"
Sarah Lendon
Childproof Locks
BEH
COGN
The purpose of this project was to discover whether one style of childproof cabinet door lock was more
18
Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
effective than another when testing children ages three through seven. The expected result of this
project was that the Side by Side childproof cabinet door lock would be more difficult for this specific
age group of children to open than the other tested childproof locks. The actual experiment involved
keeping a record of the time needed for a child to open the various childproof locks, and recording
observations. This was done by timing each child, and recording the time the child opened each
childproof lock in the science fair journal; this was repeated fifty times with a different child each time.
After the project the data gathered showed that the Push and Pull childproof cabinet door lock was the
most difficult for children age three through seven to open. This proved the hypothesis to be incorrect.
Kennedy Jacobsen
Does Warping Words Eliminate The Stroop Effect?
BEH
COGN
The Stroop Effect is a semantic inference that revolves around facts, meanings, concepts, and
knowledge. It was discovered by John Ridley Stroop in 1932. I began my experiment by asking myself,
‘Does warping words eliminate the stroop effect?’ At a young age we are taught to automatically read
the word rather than say the color, in knowing this I formed a hypothesis, ‘If people are shown words
saying a color name, but are colored another color, and I warp the words clockwise. Then the time
taking to read will be shorter with the warped words clockwise.’ I got together fifteen girls, ages eleven
to twelve, and had them read a list of warped words and a list of unwarped words. I had the girls read
each list twice, and timed how fast they read the lists. I have concluded that my hypothesis was correct.
This information is important, so it can help anyone with future questions revolving around the Stroop
Effect.
Alyssa Jordan
Behavioral Driving Study
BEH
COGN
When understanding the rule of the stop sign, there are two different that go into a stop that makes it a
legal stop. They are, coming to a complete stop, typically when the car does a slight roll back. Second is
that you must stop for at least three seconds.
Will people break a rule if being watched? The hypothesis for this experiment was that, if people are
being watched they will obey the rules. Materials used for this research were, a data table, an
intersection, a safety vest, a way to be unseen from a driver, and a sign that reads ""stop means stop.""
This experiment did require permission from the city of Hudson. The procedure, was to sit at an
intersection for the amount of time it took for the scientist to record 100 vehicles. The scientist must sit
at the intersection three different times, one with the safety vest, second unseen to the driver, and third
with the sign set up and visible to the drivers. The experiment results showed that many more people
came to a complete stop when the sign was out, and the scientist visible to drivers.
In conclusion, the scientist's hypothesis was correct, that more people obeyed the rules when being
watched. This experiment is important for cities so they know how to keep their cities safe."
Varun Ravichandran
Which Activities Enhance Short-Term Memory?
BEH
COGN
Short-term memory is something every single person uses. Good short-term memory can help
individuals do better at school, work, and at home. Finding techniques to enhance short-term memory
can be useful for people of all ages. My hypothesis was that meditation would enhance short-term
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
memory better than classical music, exercise, coaching, and memorizing with no activity. Three different
age groups of people were tested on five different activities. For each test, the individual was shown a
poster board with ten different words on it for one minute and thirty seconds and then after a short
break asked to recall as many words as he/she could. This was repeated for each variable with the
associated activity. The results supported my hypothesis that meditation would enhance short-term
memory. The result showed that there were differences among the age groups. Ages 6-25 had the best
recall with meditation (93.3%) and the worst with exercise (76.7%). Ages 26-50 did the best with the
control variable (95%) and the worst with exercise (86.7%). Ages 51-80 did the best with coaching
(78.6%) and the worst with the control variable (64.3%). Overall the age group with the best recall was
ages 26-50 (90.7%). Memory recall for all ages combined compared to the control variable (82.5%)
showed that memory (84.5%) and coaching (86.7%) improved short-term memory, while classical music
(78.5%) and exercise (78.3%), worsened short-term memory. The results supported my hypothesis that
meditation would enhance short-term memory
Feyza Mutlu
Memory Tactics & Their Effects
BEH
COGN
What is the effect of memory tactics on the amount of information one can remember? This project’s
purpose was to find out what memory tactic is the most effective. Three tactics were used; mnemonics,
movements, and a story to go along with the words. A total of 90 students accepted to participate in this
project. This led to the even distribution of 30 students per tactic. The same 20 words were used each
time. The hypothesis was as follows: If the amount of information remembered is affected by the type
of memory tactic used, then a higher percentage of words will be remembered when a story is used to
help remember the words. The participating students listened to the 20 words and wrote down as many
words as they could remember. They were then introduced a tactic that would help them remember,
and rewrote how many words they remembered a second time.
With all the data collected, the hypothesis has been proven wrong. It was not a story that connected all
the words that helped, but movements that were related to the words. The average improvement
percentage for movement was 53 and 30 for the story. The result of the mnemonic devices were
nowhere near with an average improvement percentage of eight. The conclusion drawn from this
experiment is that more information can be remembered when movements are used to help remember.
The importance of this experiment is that it offers students another way to help with their studying.
Madelyn Angle
The Accuracy of Eyewitness Testimony
BEH
COGN
An eyewitness testimony is an account given by people of an event they have witnessed. This account
can be affected by anxiety and stress, reconstructive memory, weapon focus, and leading questions.
Another factor that could affect an eyewitness testimony is the activities of the person during the crime.
For example, if the person was multitasking, he or she may not remember the incident as well as he or
she believes. Multitasking is the act of juggling two or more activities at once. The brain uses the frontal
lobe, the cerebral cortex, to focus and pay attention to a matter at hand; while at the same time, the left
and right lobes, the prefrontal lobe and the temporal lobe, work on the task and tell the body and
memory what to do. When multitasking, the brain is attempting to focus on more than one task, which
leads to splitting the focus, confusion, and mix-ups.
The hypothesis was that if a person has trouble retaining accurate memories the more focused he or she
is on some other event, then the trial in which the participant is most distracted, during the singing of
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
‘Happy Birthday’ would have the least accuracy in recalling the event.
Lucas Flanagan
Learn it Up
BEH
Cogn
What is the best way people learn, visual, auditory or kinesthetic? I predict that all 3 ways of learning
will be equally effective. For my project, I will be testing people using the 3 different ways of learning.
For my experiment I will be using 15 people. These people will be split into groups A, B and C with 5
people in each one. Each person in group A will be given a booklet with information about frogs in it.
Once they have read it, they will be given a 10 question test over the information they read. Each
person in group B will listen to the information from the booklet narrated to them by a recording, and
then take the same test. Each person in group C will be given realistic toy frogs that they will interact
with and study. The same information the previous groups learned is present, they take the same test.
For my results, I took the test scores from each group and found the averages of each one. I found out
that visual learning had the highest average of 8.2/10. Kinesthetic learning was the second highest with
an average of 7.8/10. Auditory learning had the lowest average of 7.6/10. In conclusion, my hypothesis
was not correct because visual learning was slightly better than the other two ways. Some things I could
have done to make my experiment better: test a larger number of subjects, have a test with more
questions and do a combination of teaching methods.
Emily Voneman
How Words Affect the Task of Naming Shapes
BEH
COGN
Does the presence of a word written on top of a shape interfere with the brain’s ability to recognize and
name the shape? Measuring the time it takes for a participant to correctly name a series of shapes,
some with words on top of them that may or may not match the shape seen, can answer that question.
According to research on how humans process information, the presence of a word that interferes with
a shape can cause the brain to be distracted, taking it longer to correctly recognize the shape. People
are more practiced at reading words than naming shapes, as we read more often than we name shapes.
The materials involved in testing this are: a stopwatch, paper, pencil, participants, instructions for each
volunteer, four sheets of card stock ‘ one with shapes printed with matching shape words, one with
shapes printed with non-matching shape words, one with shapes alone and one with shape words
alone. Results showed that participants had the fastest time when they were reading words alone. The
next fastest time was matching shapes and words, followed by shapes alone. The longest time was the
shapes with non-matching shape words, as the hypothesis predicted. The presence of non-matching
shape words more than doubled the time necessary to complete the task. These results could affect
street sign design, as well as help to discourage people from texting and driving.
Kylie Gallagher
Learning Sound Localization
BEH
COGN
The purpose of this project was to discover whether a person is able to learn to improve their sound
localization skills. The expected result of the project was that sound localization could be learned. The
actual experiment involved testing the subjects’ localization ability as a control, then training the subject
with reinforcements, followed by retesting. This was done by having a blindfolded subject seated in the
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
center of a twelve foot radius circle, randomly sounding a tone at different positions around the circle,
and recording the subject’s localization accuracy. The blindfold was then removed and the tone
sounded again at each position with visual and verbal reinforcements. The subject was blindfolded
again and retested.
After the project, the data gathered showed that sound localization can be a learned skill. Subjects did
22% better at general localization after training. This proved the hypothesis to be correct.
Abigail Bergman
Does Story Linking Affect Memorization?
BEH
COGN
For this science fair project, I tested effects of story linking on memorization. Story linking is
incorporating items you need to memorize into a short story so you can use association to remember
them. The purpose is to help people easily memorize objects. The problem is many individuals have
trouble memorizing items. The study intended to show that people can improve their memory by
applying a simple technique. My research question is, ‘Will there be a difference in the success of
memorization with story linking?’ I hypothesized that there will be a difference in the success of
memorization with story linking, and story linking will have a higher success rate. I approached the
investigation by testing fourth graders twice. I tested them by having them study flashcards with one
animal name per flashcard. They had to recall the animals. I tested a second time with them trying to
remember animal names incorporated into a story. My independent variable is the ten animal names
on the flashcards and in the story. The dependent variable is the score of each subject on each test.
After reviewing results, I found that the score on the flashcard test averaged at about 70% and the story
test averaged at about 90%. My study was accomplished and my hypothesis, supported. I now have a
better understanding whether story linking can improve one’s memory. Nevertheless, I must keep in
mind my small sample size and that there are many possibilities as to why I received these results.
Julia Baitt
Does Peppermint affect Test Taking Skills, Scores, and Times
BEH
COGN
Teachers often give peppermints to students in hopes of seeing better results on tests and quizzes.
Peppermint oil and candy have the same effects, as the brain is more affected by smell than the taste.
In a study performed by Bryan Raudenbush on the effects of peppermint on drivers; the scent of
peppermint increases alertness, motivation, and performance, while lowering fatigue, anxiety, and
frustration. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter. It influences motor control and emotions. It plays a huge
role on motivation, pleasure and rewards, attention, memory, wakefulness, and information process.
The problem investigated was does peppermint affect test taking skills? The hypothesis was peppermint
will affect test results and time. The materials of the experiment included subjects, tests, pencils, timer,
and peppermints. The question was investigated by subjects taking a timed test and then taking a similar
test with a peppermint. The time was recorded and the tests were graded. The tests were compared to
each other. The experiment was repeated three times to validate accurate results. The results were
concluded that peppermint does improve test scores by an average of one point and twenty-six
seconds. This experiment was important because it shows a way to improve tests which can be
important when applying to colleges. It may also help people in their everyday lives such as driving or
applying for jobs.
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
Spencer Echemann
Do Environmental Temperatures Effect Thinking?
BEH
COGN
The purpose of my research and experimentation of my science project is to determine whether
different temperatures have an effect on a person's ability to think. I am trying to conclude that a
person's cognition is effected under these circumstances.
After getting the permission of the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students that consisted of 20
participants, I gave them 70 math problems to solve, first in a comfortable temperature of 78.8 degree
F, then outside in a temperature of 33.8 degrees to 37.4 degrees F (the outside experiment was
conducted on two separate days). Next I asked them to solve the math equations in a hot room at 89.6
degrees F. Each person was timed and then each test page was graded for errors in the three different
categories.
As illustrated on the pie chart, using 20 volunteers, each participant when tested in three different
environments, comfortable, hot and cold, it was determined that more errors were made when the
participants were subjected to the extreme cold temperatures than the other two categories. There
was a slight jump from warm to hot but a landslide from warm to cold - 64.54% in the cold; 20.72% in
the hot and 14.74% in the warm/gym.
My hypothesis was correct in the sense that in a comfortable temperature you think more clearly, and in
extremely cold temperatures your body is effected by your core body temperature falling resulting in an
adverse effect in cognitive thinking. "
Simra Ahmed The Study of Teenager Decision-Making and its Correlation to the Game Theory
BEH
COGN
Decision-making has always been an important factor in people’s lives. The way that people live their
lives is base on their decisions. The world is based on the decisions. But when do people know if they
made the right decision or not? The answer is not necessarily making the right decision but making the
logical decision. Decision-making has been studied and experimented on by scientists. Teenage decisionmaking has also been a source of controversy. People want to know why teenagers act the way they do.
The problem is ‘How will the Nash Equilibrium affect teenage decision making when they are given
different simulations?’ The hypothesis is that the teenagers will prove to be selfish and not be capable of
making wise decisions based on the results of the different simulations. The procedure was conducted
as so: each of the subjects were partnered and were told the three different simulations, The Battle of
the Sexes, Prisoner’s dilemma, and Stag Hunt. Then each of the subjects were told to respond to the
simulations accordingly. The results were unexpected, on average twenty subjects were cooperative
while ten were defective. In conclusion, the hypothesis was proven incorrect. The information found in
this experiment may be used to help educators. This project could potentially help show people that
basic and advance cognitive skills should be enforced and taught in schools more often. The importance
of logic and reasoning is in high demand for our societies’ moving culture and technology.
John Pan
Expressions?
Facial Expressions: Universality Hypothesis. Can Asians Read Caucasians' Facial
BEH
COGN
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
To correctly recognize and express facial expressions allows verbal communication to be more concise.
This project’s aim is to study the validity of the Universality Hypothesis, of which states that humans can
express and recognize facial expressions universally. A notable scientist, Dr. Paul Ekman, conducted
many experiments to support the Universality Hypothesis. However, most of his tests were
demonstrated using multiple pictures simultaneously. His testing method was claimed unlike real world
situations and allowed comparison, thus suggested results of Ekman’s work were inaccurate. To avoid
these circumstances, this project showed four demonstrations on an iPad. The first one demonstrated
all six basic emotions simultaneously. The second one demonstrated them one at a time. The third one
demonstrated a video acted by Caucasians twice, first mute, then with sound. The fourth one was the
same but acted by Asians. The average accuracies for the image form tests were 78%. Video form tests’
accuracies increased to an average of 88% as more context clues were provided. However, Asian
participants had slightly higher accuracies than other races due to their advantage of understanding the
language of the second video. These results suggest that the humans all have the ability, with minor
racial barriers, to correctly recognize facial expressions, therefore supporting the validity of the
Universality Hypothesis.
Emily Wirtz
Does Color Affect Hunger?
BEH
COGN
The purpose of this experiment was to see if color affects how hungry you feel. A total of 20 participants
were asked to view a PowerPoint and take a survey. 10 participants viewed the PowerPoint at a time.
The PowerPoint had pictures of pizza, grapes, and a breakfast taco. Each photo was shown 9 different
times with a different color backgrounds each time. The colors were white, brown, red, orange, yellow,
green, blue, purple, and black. The participants were asked to rate each photo, with a different
background, from 1 to 10. The surveys were collected. The data was then graphed. The data was
analyzed and the conclusion was drawn that the color red looks the best to the participants. Red was
surveyed as the best looking color overall.
Jack Lovell
Overthinking & Additional Information
BEH
COGN
Overthinking and dealing with additional information creates one of the many problems that the
average student faces every day. For instance, in math class students are often given more information
that is necessary which can throw off your answer. My personal experience made me pretty confident
that additional information could affect your decision but I didn’t know by how much. Research
introduced me to heuristics which ‘are general decision making strategies people use that are based on
little information, yet very often correct; heuristics are mental short cuts that reduce the cognitive
burden associated with decision making’ (Shah & Oppenheimer, 2008). To conduct my experiment I first
obtained 5 different brands of potato chips. I then gave one chip of each brand to the blindfolded
person and they had to tell me their favorite and second favorite chip. Next, I repeated the same
experiment except I told a lie about each chip and changed the order to see if their decision changed.
For example, I said that the first brand was the most popular even though it wasn’t. I tested this with 20
different people. I recorded all their decisions and put them into graphs. My results were clear; 95% of
people had some type of change in their answers, 70% of people changed their favorite chip brand and
35% changed both answers. By looking at all this data, I can clearly see that the additional information
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
swayed their decisions.
Francesca
BEH
Masso-Rivetti The Allais Paradox: Personality and Manipulated Decision Making
COGN
The Allais Paradox demonstrates that individuals are prone to make detrimental decisions when
confronted with selections that involve prominent negative consequences. Statements can be worded
to emphasize these negative consequences and therefore manipulate how a situation is perceived. Two
of the personality traits of the Five-Factor Model of Personality are agreeableness and
conscientiousness. This experiment researched the relationship between manipulated decision making
through the Allais Paradox and these personality traits. Its objective was to prove that agreeable
individuals are highly susceptible to the Allais Paradox while conscientious individuals are less
susceptible. Participants were administered the Big Five Inventory (BFI) personality assessment and
Allais Paradox questions. The data produced was compiled in groups by agreeableness and
conscientiousness scores. The results substantiate that conscientiousness has a moderate negative
association with susceptibility to the Allais Paradox; however, it cannot be proven that this relationship
is causal. No claim can be substantiated regarding any relationship between agreeableness and
susceptibility to the Allais Paradox.
Siddharth
BEH
Rajagopal
cogn
Time Perception-Impact of age and visual content on time perception
The comparative question for the project is: Is it really true that time is perceived to move at different
speeds across different ages. Can we prove with data that the old saying that Time flies when you are
having fun is really true. Increasingly, more experiments are being conducted in this area which falls
under the category of neuro-sciences. There are many theories that describe the concept of time
perception. According to an article by Ted Ed, if you do something for the first time it feels longer than it
actually is. For example the first time you jump off a high dive at the pool it might feel like 10 seconds
when it actually feels like 5.
Since this topic is relatively new and doctors & scientists are working on getting a better understanding
of the topic, my objective was to learn and understand this topic on a first hand basis by conducting a
standardized visual test and gain first hand data. I hope my project will be useful to design a learning
environment for children, and especially with children who have attention disorders. Identifying and
understanding how the brain perceives time helps in applying better methods of presentation of
information.
I had three hypotheses - My first hypothesis is that the Adult volunteers will estimate that the videos
were of a shorter time when compared to children. My second hypothesis is that the test subjects will
estimate a longer time for the slow-moving video and a shorter time for the fast-moving video. My third
hypothesis is that if the volunteers found a video interesting they will estimate the video to be shorter.
Methods & Materials: The first step is to select the videos. Pick three videos, one should be interesting,
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
another should be fast-moving, and the last has to be slow-moving. All of the videos have to be of the
same length of time. The videos used are: Interesting Video: How many ways can you arrange a deck of
cards. http://youtu.be/uNS1QvDzCVw , Fast-moving: The Maze runner official trailer
http://youtu.be/AwwbhhjQ9Xk , Slow-moving News - Fire Destroys 152 Year Old Historic Waverly
Restaurant http://youtu.be/PF6P10ozLjc . The participants must not know the purpose of the
experiment otherwise the results could have bias. Show each video individually to the volunteer in an
area of the house where there are no distractions like clocks, phones, etc. After finishing the video give
the questionnaire to the person for them to fill out.
If possible have sufficient time intervals between videos. Repeat this process for each volunteer.
Materials : a group of volunteers (different age groups, at least 20 people), a questionnaire, 3 videos of
equal length, A tablet that can be used, An Excel worksheet to record results, Note book to make rough
workings.
Results: My first hypothesis was proven right; the older volunteers did think that the videos took less
time when compared to the younger volunteers. The second hypothesis was proven right; the slow
moving video had a higher time estimation that the faster moving video. The third hypothesis was also
proven wrong because the action-filled and informative videos were estimated to be shorter than the
boring videos. However, the interesting video had a time estimation that was between the action filled
and boring.
Lydia Booth
Can Font Types Affect Memory
BEH
cogn
The purpose of my experiment was to find out if different font styles can affect a child's memory. To
accomplish this, I created a list with twenty random words. This list had the font of "Shadows into Light"
at the size of eighteen. I gave this list to all of the sixth graders. They had two minutes to study the list,
two minutes of stimulation (talking to each other), and two minutes to write down all the words they
remembered on loose leaf. I repeated this for the seventh grade. The only difference was that that I
used "Times New Roman" font instead of "Shadows into Light." I graded these and found the mean,
median, mode, and range. The conclusion I have reached is that there isn't a big enough difference to
say one font is easier to remember than another because the normal font's average was .0475723 larger
than the complex font's average. I would like to mention that the sixth graders took their test with a
school power outage. We opened the blinds, but it was still really dark, so that may have affected my
results. This research is useful because it just means that there should be farther testing and looking
into this project. One way to test further is to include more difficult font styles.
Hanna Fenstermaker
The Relationship Between Scent and Memory BEH
COGN
There have been multiple claims regarding the relationship between scent and memory. In the past,
experiments have shown that having the same scent present while learning, studying, and testing
improved test scores. More recently, studies have shown that a particular scent while learning was not
the reason for improvement of test scores. My question is, Will a scent associated with certain
information enhance an individual’s memory of that information? The purpose of this experiment was
to see for myself if scent really did improve memory. I hypothesized that, If a scent is present while
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
studying a certain topic, then individuals will have greater ability to retain information, because, within
the limbic system, memory and scent depiction are closely related.
To create my own test, I gathered 50 volunteers and separated them into groups of 10. Each group
completed 2 Phases of testing. Each Phase included a series of learning, studying and testing a 20 digit
sequence. The independent variable separating Phase 1 (the control) and Phase 2 was a green apple
Smencil used in Phase 2 as opposed to a regulation number 2 pencil used in Phase 1. Tests were
collected and scored out of 20 points possible.
Overall, Phase 1 had higher scores than Phase 2, which disproved my hypothesis. The average test
scores for Phase 2 were 20.875% lower than Phase 1. This may have occurred because the Smencil was a
distraction or smell triggered memories already associated with the scent of green apple.
Grace Kosco
Lit or Unlit Classroom
BEH
COGN
The science fair project was to test whether a lit or unlit classroom is the best learning environment.
This science fair experiment can help many teachers decide whether to have the lights on in their
classroom or not. The hypothesis was that if whether a lit or unlit classroom is a better learning
environment is tested, then the unlit classroom will be better because students can concentrate and
work on their work. The science fair experiment was tested by having a number of students that are all
in the same grade taking an easy test that included reading comprehension, listening, memorization,
and test taking. All students got exactly two minutes to read a short story, and then after they could not
see the story anymore they took an eight question test. The average score for the unlit classroom was
63.75%. The average score for the lit classroom was 83.3%. The scientist hereby concluded that having a
lit classroom is a better learning environment than not having the lights on. This conclusion does not
support the hypothesis. Therefore, a classroom with the lights on is a better learning environment than
the dark.
Teresa King
Does The Sense Of Smell Affect The Sense of Taste?
BEH
COGN
Different drink flavors have different tastes with smell and without smell. My question is does sense of
smell affect sense of taste? If I gave a person the same drink two times, one time with a nose plug and
blindfold on and another time with just a blindfold, which taste test case will more correctly identify the
drink? The project’s purpose is to find out if people can taste better with or without their sense of
smell. My hypothesis is based on scientific books and websites about the senses.
To test the senses of smell and taste, I collected information from different people of what they thought
the drinks were and why. I recorded 25 responses for five different drink flavors.
The grape juice, tomato juice, apple juice, and lemonade all followed my hypothesis. Water did not
because with and without the nose plug everybody 100 % correctly identified water. Except water, the
most correctly identified drink while blindfolded and nose plugged was tomato juice at 44%. Except
water, the most correctly identified drinks with only the blindfold were grape juice and tomato juice at
80%. The least correctly identified drink while blindfolded and nose plugged was apple juice at 36%.
The least correctly identified drink with only the blindfold was lemonade at 40%.
All the tests except water supported my hypothesis that the average percentage was greater for
correctly identifying the drink without the nose plug than with it. These results showed that smell does
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
affect taste.
Caitlyn Miller Positive and Negative Reinforcement: Manipulating Viewpoints
BEH
COGN
The purpose of the experiment was to examine how positive and negative reinforcement affect and
manipulate viewpoints of test subjects. The hypothesis was, If a test group is shown positive or negative
reinforcement, then it will affect their interest in the subject matter and willingness to participate
further in the experiment. The study supported the hypothesis by showing that the positive
reinforcement groups showed more positivity in their responses to post-experiment survey questions,
compared to the negative reinforcement groups. There were forty total test subjects, split into four
groups of ten. In each of the two trials there was one positive and one negative reinforcement group.
Two groups experienced positive reinforcement and two received negative reinforcement. The positive
reinforcement consisted of encouraging remarks and handing out candy only to the positive
reinforcement group. The negative reinforcement consisted of discouraging remarks and watching the
other group receive candy while receiving none themselves. Before the experiment started, the trial
subjects were split into positive and negative reinforcement subgroups. The groups were asked five
questions each. After all questions were asked, the subjects filled out a survey with five questions. The
positive reinforcement groups responded with more overall positive feedback and the negative
reinforcement groups showed more pessimism in their responses. The positive groups were more
willing to participate in another experiment if asked and expressed more interest and enjoyment than
the subjects in the negative reinforcement groups. To improve the experiment, the researcher could
measure how the severity of the reinforcement affects the test subjects' responses.
Natalie Detwiler
The Effect of Music on Cognitive Ability
BEH
COGN
Music is a creation almost as old as man, but can it be utilized in a way that stimulates cognitive ability?
During testing students were given three different multiplication tests and were given one minute to
complete as many questions as possible. During the first test the classroom was quiet, during the second
they listened to a popular song, and during the last test they listened to a Classical piece. Students
achieved the highest scores during the Classical test scoring over 6% higher than in the Control group,
and during the Pop test students scored just over .5% higher than the Control. Listening to music did
increase the scores of during both the Pop and Classical tests, however the scores for the Classical tests
were much more impressive.
Breanna Clifford
Influence of Food Marketing Directed Towards Children
BEH
COGN
Children are the targeted age for commercial junk food advertisements because they are too young to
understand the persuasive process of marketing. The purpose of this experiment was to find if different
advertisements impacted what children wanted to eat. The hypothesis was that children would choose a
food packaged in a box decorated with attractive characters over a plain box. Thirty six children were
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
given two of the same Chips Ahoy cookies and had to choose which they preferred: the cookie taken
from a plain box or from a Mickey Mouse box. In independent tests of two different cookies, two thirds
of the thirty six children chose the cookie from a decorative box than a plain box. This experiment
explains that children's advertising can be extremely beneficial to marketers.
Bridget Saia
Do we read better on real books or e-books?
BEH
COGN
The question ‘Do we read better on e-books or printed books’ is what I based my science fair project on.
My hypothesis was that the subjects would remember more detail and read faster on the paper version
of the article, rather than the computer. The procedure for my experiment was to have twenty students
at my school, ten reading on a computer and ten on paper, read articles picked prior to the experiment.
After the subject read the article, I gave them a ten question quiz to check how much they remembered
from the article. The independent variable for my experiment was if the subject was reading on the
computer or on paper. The dependent variable was the quiz scores. A few variables were the article the
subject was reading, age of the subject, the subject’s reading speed or level, and the test-taking ability
of the subject. The results of my experiment strongly supported my hypothesis. The subjects that read
on the computer took longer to read the article and scored lower on the quiz than the subjects that read
on the paper. The average quiz scores of the subjects that read on the computer was a 5.475/10 and the
average quiz score of the subjects that read on the computer was a 7.3/10. My conclusion about why
the subjects that read on paper scored better on the quiz comes down to several things. One of the
reasons I believe contributes to the lower scores is because computers and e-books can be distracting.
Advertisements are common on computers and e-books and can distract the reader. Another
distraction can be the parts of the computer itself- the keyboard, mouse, and the light from the monitor.
Elissa Mariani
Mint or Myth: The Mystery Behind Peppermint
BEH
COGN
Candy is sweet and probably the best part of someone's day. But does some candy help test-taking
skills? The purpose of this experiment was to see if peppermint affects how well a person performs on a
test. If peppermint helps test performance, the average scores on tests could be much higher. The
hypothesis made was if a grade level is tested with a peppermint, then their average scores will be a
75% or higher.
The control variable in this experiment were the amount of time given to take the test, the number of
questions on the test, and the five different subjects included in each test. The independent variable in
my experiment was giving peppermints or not. The dependent variable was the test scores for each
grade level. I made a test for each grade level. I included one question for five different subjects on each
test. I tested the grade levels 4-8 with the proper test, and I gave each student a peppermint to eat
while they took the test. The next week, I subtlety changed each question on the tests. I tested the five
grades again without peppermint and found the average of their scores.
The results of the experiment conclude that my hypothesis was true. The total average of the tests with
peppermint was 84%, while the total average of the tests without peppermint was 76%. If I were to
expand on this experiment, I would see which type of mint would make the most difference in test
scores."
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
Emma Goubeaux
Memory with Distractions
BEH
COGN
The whole purpose of my experiment was to see how being distracted can affect how much you are able
to memorize. The students had four different trials to memorize, in horizontal order, one tray of 10
distinct objects. They had one minute to study while a distraction was going on. The independent
variable was what type of distraction there was. The dependent variable is the number of objects they
remember. Then, the control variables include: the trays, the time they get to memorize, the place and
environment, and the age of the students. The average of the first period class was 86% and the third
period class had an average of 82%. Both classes averages were the averages from the fourth
distraction, no distraction. My hypothesis was proved correct with the first period class, but incorrect
with the third period class. This topic is useful to the world because we memorize things every day. We
have to memorize things in school, what people tell us, and information for all the tests and quizzes we
take.
Kathaleen Kuhn
COGN
Does extra curricular involvment influence academic performance?
BEH
This project began with the question ‘does extracurricular involvement affect a student’s academic
performance?’
As a result of my background research, I was able to form the following hypothesis: If a student is
involved in extracurricular activities (for more than an average of six hours per week) then there will be
an adverse influence on their overall GPA.
After reviewing similar studies, I concluded that a self analyzing survey would provide the necessary
data I needed and developed a survey instrument. This survey was reviewed and approved and the
appropriate forms completed regarding its use.
A total of 86 Minford High School students returned surveys that were usable. Once the data was
compiled, I began to comprehend the actual limits of a self reporting survey. Additionally, I discovered
several uncontrollable variables, system limitations and environment elements that may have distorted
my results. Some of those factors included the following: Student accuracy and honesty, a required
minimum GPA to participate in extracurricular activities, lack of cultural diversity, limited resources
needed to offer a wide range of extracurricular activities and inadequate supportive academic
resources. It is possible that all of these factors may have a negative impact on the extracurricular
participation and academic performance of the test subjects.
In the end, my data did not support my hypothesis. It showed that there was hardly any relation, or at
least one that could be identified with this experiment, between the numbers of hours spent in
additional activities and a student’s GPA. "
Maeve Curliss The Effect of Increased Perceptual Load on Distracter Processing
BEH
COGN
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an increased perceptual load on distracter
processing. The hypothesis of this experiment is that an increased perceptual load will lead to a
decrease in distracter processing. The participants of this study will take four multiplication tests, two
with a low perceptual load and two with a high perceptual load. One of each of the tests will be
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
administered while the participants are being distracted. When tested, the participants improved in
both cases when they were distracted. There was a higher number of problems incorrect out of
problems attempted on average for the subjects on the higher perceptual load multiplication tests
regardless of distraction. On average the females showed a higher percentage increase when distracted
than the males. Participants in an honors class showed less signs of distractibility, especially on the high
perceptual load tests, than the non-honors class. Although trends do appear in the data, a large spread
between each of the individual’s scores, as shown by the standard deviations, leads to a difficulty in
making generalizations for the sample. The data did support the hypothesis made. In general, the
participants showed a greater percentage of problems correct from the high perceptual load test to the
high perceptual load test with distraction than from the low perceptual load test to the low perceptual
load test with distraction. The data differed from previous literature because the participants’ test
scores on average improved with distraction regardless of perceptual load.
Austin Bahmer
Stop the Texts Stop the Wrecks
BEH
COGN
Texting and driving has been a road hazard for many years which has resulted in over 1.3 million car
crashes which leads to the question: Is texting and driving dangerous? The hypothesis states that if you
give a driver a distraction like texting the driver’s reaction will be slower because the driver will not be
focused and have more wrecks. The Mario Kart video game was used as a simulation of a driving course.
An Iphone 6 was the texting source. The drivers drove the Mario Kart Yoshi Falls course. The drivers
time and wrecks were recorded, averaged, and led to the conclusion. After the experiment the data
shows that texting and driving is a driving hazard. The conclusion was that texting and driving made
your reaction time slower and that more wrecks occurred which proved the hypothesis correct. This
project is important to the world because it shows the danger of texting and driving. Texting uses visual,
manual, and cognitive attention which makes texting very distracting to the driver. This project can be
used as a discussion tool with teens and young adults to show the importance of refraining from texting
and driving.
Nicole Kurtz
DOES USING MNEMONICS AID IN MEMORY?
BEH
COGN
The human brain is a complex set of functions and systems that allow a person to perform many
different tasks, such as being able to remember things. The main reason we remember things however,
is because the situation had some sort of significance. Based off that, I asked myself this question: Does
using a mnemonic aid in memory? A mnemonic is an organization of a word or pictures that allows one
to possibly be able to remember something. So, after doing research on the topic, I formed my
hypothesis. It is: If there are two lists of the same words, but one list uses a mnemonic and the other
one does not, then the students who study the mnemonic list will be able to remember more words in
the correct order, and recite them faster, than the students who study the list without a mnemonic. I
began my experiment by gathering twenty participants and having them study a list of words with a
mnemonic. Then, they had to recite the words in the correct order the next day, while I timed them. I
repeated that same step with the ten other participants, except they had to study a list without a
mnemonic. When I looked over my data, I saw that the people who studied the mnemonic list on
average were able to recite the words faster than the ones without a mnemonic. Also, on average, the
mnemonic list group was able to recite more words in the correct order. So, based off of these results, I
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
can conclude that my hypothesis is correct. My findings are important because it helps to establish that
using mnemonics aids in memory, and if more people know this, then test scores could possibly increase
nationwide.
Olivia Vaginer
The Stroop Effect-Warped
BEH
COGN
The purpose of this project is to determine whether the stroop effect is maximized when the font of a
word is warped. To achieve this purpose first four sets of flashcards are created containing;
corresponding conventional print (CC), corresponding warped print (CW), non-corresponding
conventional print (NCC), and non-corresponding warped (NCW) . Once the flashcards are complete
they are next used to test human participants. Each participant will be asked to read each set aloud
while being timed. The data from these tests will then be applied to the results of the final project. The
results of this project were that set 3 (non-corresponding conventional print) was the most difficult to
read. On average, this deck took the longest time complete.
Zacchaeus Martin
The Affects of Personality on Grade Performance
BEH
COGN
In this experiment, the relationship between personality types and the grades that are received in
school. To perform this experiment, male and female students at Trotwood Madison High school were
used. They ranged from grades 9th-12th. The initial hypothesis was that students in type A personality
group would have grades that range from A-B and students in personality group B would have grades
that range from C-F . The survey that was given to the participants had them list their quarter one
grades and GPA. The participants were asked a series of personal questions that would help to
determine whether they were personality type A or personality type B. The questions were centered
around the personality type A and B theory, which states that personality type A people are very selfdriven, hardworking people who have a tendency to have high stress levels. Personality type B people
are the exact opposite, they are pretty laid back, enjoy the arts, and have a low stress level. After
analyzing the data from the surveys it was found that the initial hypothesis was correct. Personality type
A, in total, received more A’s and B’s than Personality type B people. This was not because they had a
high level of stress but because they have a higher level of determination.
Habiba Mbugua
Background Colors and Reading
BEH
COGN
Three different passages were read on blue, orange, and white paper. Participants read with the most
words per minute on blue paper and most accurately on blue paper.
Robert Dong Adolescent performance on scientific assessments with different preparations in
studying and sleep
BEH
COGN
Sleep is like a food to the brain; all humans need it. On test nights, students often misjudge the priorities
of how much studying to do and how much sleep to get. This study focuses on the amount of sleep time
and study time students get before tests, and how it affects their performance. Surveys and analysis
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
software were used to find correlations between gender, sleep time, study time, study method, test
score, and class grade. Unexpected conclusions were found: students who sleep more on test nights
perform worse on tests, students who study more on test nights perform worse on tests. Other explored
conclusions include: doing practice problems is the most effective study method, males score a higher
average on tests than females. These findings are important because students can learn to make better
decisions when preparing for tests, benefiting their test performance.
Ryan Laganson
The effects of cohorts on engagement in the classroom: A comparison of
Career Technical Education and traditional core classes
BEH
COGN
A current problem within school systems around the country has been the lack of engagement,
commonly referred to as disengagement, among adolescent students. This case study will analyze how
cohort culture can affect levels of engagement in the classroom of various programs. Adolescent
students naturally form a cohort culture, which account for the ‘attitudes, values, and practices that
students in a particular group negotiate through interactions with one another and in reaction to the
requirements and expectations’’ (Connor, 2009). Thus, various educational programs can elicit different
cohort cultures depending on students reaction to the circumstances and the conduct within these
classes. This research looked at two types of programs, Career Technical Education students and
‘traditional’ core class students, in which data was collected via a survey. The data collected in Career
Technical Education, CTE classes, included Early Childhood Education, CAD engineering, and Marketing
among others. In contrast, data was collected for traditional classes from juniors and seniors at Mentor
High School. The students were questioned on factors of critical youth voice, acquisition for new skills,
intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, and values of the classroom. The response of CTE classes were then
compared to the traditional classes to see if cohorts within either route has a better likelihood to
succeed considering responses to the survey. It was hypothesized that CTE students are more engaged
in their specific study due to the supportive culture established in the classroom . A two proportion z
test revealed that in fact, CTE students demonstrated high levels of the factors previously mentioned,
thus coming to the conclusion that CTE students are more engaged in their specific study.
Bailey Adler
How Gustation Affects Short Term Memory
BEH
COGN
This project will test the effect that gustation, the sensation or act of tasting, has on short-term
memory. The purpose of this experiment is to determine which flavors, if any at all, improve or impair
focus and memory.
Twenty test subjects, ten females and ten males, were submitted to six separate tests, where they
would study a sheet of ten words for twenty seconds. Once the twenty seconds ended, the subject
would recite as many words as he/she could remember from his/her test sheet. In every test, the
subject was given a different food substance to imitate a certain flavor. The control tests showed that an
average of 67.5% of words were remembered without any oral substances given. However, 42.0% of
words were remembered with a sour flavor (lemons), 50.0% with salt (pretzels), 64.5% with sweet
(candy), 53.5% with peppermint (mints), and 40.0% with spicy (hot sauce).
In conclusion, the hypothesis was proven wrong; it was stated that if memory is tested by using
gustation, then memory will be most improved by peppermint, and the memory will be impaired the
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
greatest by sour. After the experiment it was concluded that none of the substances improved memory,
but it was spicy, not sour, that impaired memory the most."
Erin Gordon
Driving and Phones, Do They Mix?
BEH
cogn
The experiment ‘Driving and Phones, do they mix?’ tested how talking on the phone affects a person's
driving time and efficiency. The experiment consisted of five subjects who drove through an obstacle
course three times without talking on the phone; then drove three times while talking on the phone. All
five subjects driving times were adversely affected when they were talking on the phone while driving.
The subjects took more time to get through the course while talking on the phone, then without talking
on the phone. Subjects 1, 2 and 3 could not hold a conversation while driving, even though the times
were slower with a cell phone, the times were not drastically affected. Subjects 4 and 5 were more
involved into the conversation so the times for them while talking on the phone were a lot worse than
driving without a phone. The experiment did determine that driving while talking on the phone effects a
drivers time and efficiency while operating a motor vehicle.
Emily Bouffard Character Personality vs. Reader Mood
BEH
COGN
The purpose of this experiment was to settle my curiosity over a common idea in the world of writing.
That’s the idea that not only a situation determines the effects on the reader, but that the personality of
a main character and how they react to these scenarios influences the subject as well. Being well-versed
in the realm of writing, my hypothesis was that this idea was indeed true. In order to prove this, I first
had to go through a preparatory phase where I had to prepare all the stories and papers for the second
set of steps to follow. After completing the first part, the second phase ‘ the testing phase ‘ began in
which participants completed a handful of papers and read a story, filling out a before and after survey
to create the best results. The results showed that the majority of participants experienced a multitude
of emotional changes as they read each story, and the selected stories had a pattern of reactions that
shifted from story to story. There were a few exceptions that had no notable change, but majority of
people felt empathy, confusion, sadness, anger, and more when faced with the situation and main
character. With this data collected during experimentation, it can be concluded that my hypothesis was
correct in the fact that majority of the participants did experience some alteration in their emotions.
Olta Toska
How Does Sugar Affect the Brain?
BEH
COGN
I have always heard not to eat too much sugar before an important test because you will get a ‘sugar
crash’ and you won’t be able to function to the best of your ability. This made me wonder what other
effects sugar has on your body and more specifically your brain. The question I had was: what are the
effects of sugar on the brain? My hypothesis was: If students eat a lot of sugar, then they will do worse
on a test because they will experience a sugar crash. To test this, I asked 13 people to eat three candy
bars that in total had about 27 grams of sugar. This is more sugar than a grown female should be eating
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
in a whole day. Then, I waited about half an hour for the sugar to get in their systems and then I gave
them a test. The average score was a 44%. A week later, I gave the same 13 students another similar test
but I did not give them any sugar. This served as the control for my experiment. The independent
variable is how much sugar they are eating and the dependent variable is the score of the test. The
average score for the test without sugar was a 65%. Out of the 13 people that I tested, 11 of them got
worse scores when they had sugar. 2 of the students got better scores with sugar than without. In the
end, I proved my hypothesis correct. Sugar can affect your body and health but it can also affect the
brain.
Joel david The Effect of Circadian Rhythm in Humans BEH
COGN
Circadian Rhythm is a physical, mental and behavioral change that follows roughly a 24-hour cycle
responding to light and darkness of an organism's environment. Peak mental performance is a metric
that can be used to understand circadian rhythm in man. This study was designed to compare the peak
mental performance of human beings of different age groups.
The hypothesis was that the older aged groups would have a peak mental performance during the
morning time and the mental performance of the younger age groups would peak during the evening.
Two short mental activities were selected from the website www.playwithyourmind.com for the
volunteer human subjects to perform during morning and evening. There were about 5-10 human
subjects in each of three age groups namely, High School Age group, Middle Age Group and Old Age
Group.
Based on the results, it was found out that the High School Age group and Middle Age group scored
higher consistently in both activities, in the evening while the Old Age group scored higher in the
morning. Therefore, it can be inferred, there was a clear shift in Circadian Rhythm as humans age.
Understanding this shift, may help Physicians to medicate patients effectively in accordance to the
Circadian patterns of bio-medical molecules in a cell or organ of young and old people. Also, many
children have different learning disabilities. Children may be able to learn best during the evening since
that is the time they can be more efficient, based on this study. "
Brooke Butler The Multitasking Misconception: Does media multitasking thwart efficient learning?
BEH
COGN
The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether or not engaging in media while concentrating
impeded efficient learning. The hypothesis predicted that heavy media multitaskers would find it more
difficult to process information while distracted than light media multitaskers. A questionnaire
consisting of ten questions was designed to place participants into groups based on how often they
media multitasked. The test subjects, twenty-seven participants of high school age, were asked to take
the survey and engage in a challenge involving learning the coordinates of a chessboard. The experiment
was designed to compare the amount of improvement between the two groups. Interestingly enough,
heavy media multitaskers went beyond expectations and performed significantly better on the
challenge than light media multitaskers. In the silent environment, the light media multitaskers
experienced a progression of 37.5%, 39.1%, and 42.2% while the heavy media multitaskers progressed
with averages of 37.5%, 40.6%, and 53.1% in trials 1, 2, and 3 respectively. In the environment
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
containing the media distracter, the light media multitaskers regressed with the averages of 35.9% and
30.0% in trials 1 and 2, but progressed with an average of 31.3% in trial 3. Heavy media multitaskers also
regressed with the averages of 39.1% and 34.4% in trials 1 and 2 and progressed with the average of
40.6% in trial 3.
Rachel Kaufman
Music Memory
BEH
COGN
The experiment, ‘Music Memory’, shows whether the decade of music a song is from affects the
amount of lyrics you can remember. Our reason for doing this project is that we realized that when
listening to music from an older time period, we couldn't remember the lyrics as easily as more recent
music, even though we have heard the songs before. Therefore, we created our experiment. We
wanted to see if the decade a song is from affects the amount of lyrics you can remember. In our
testing, the subjects had to listen to ten, 15 second song clips. After listening, if they hadn't heard the
songs before they had to write down as many lyrics as they could remember. We made each song a
percentage of correct lyrics then averaged each song. After that we averaged each decade. We
concluded that the 2000’s was the decade with the most remembered lyrics.
Trinity Glenn
Will the different size of a basketball effect my shots? BEH
COGN
This experiment tests if the different size of a basketball would affect the shots a person will make. It is
very likely that if a high school student used a youth basketball, she might not make as many shots as
she could with a men’s or women’s basketball. The experiment was tested with the local girls basketball
team (5th through 8th graders). This experiment involved: a youth basketball (27.5 in.), a women’s
basketball (28.5 in.), and a men’s basketball (29.5 in.); a notepad, basketball coaches, and a basketball
hoop. During a basketball practice, the girls were put into 2 groups of 3 and 1 group of 4. Each group
rotated around the gym shooting 10 baskets with each size ball. There was a coach at each hoop so he
could record the girls shots. After the experiment was done, the data that was made was turned into
percentages by dividing the number of shots made by the number of attempts. Then this data was put
into 3 pie charts for each ball. The majority of the girls shot best with the women’s basketball. Out of
100%: 63% made the shots with the women’s basketball, 59% made the shots with the men’s basketball,
and 40% made the shots with the youth basketball. In conclusion, the size of a basketball did affect the
shots a person made. The local girls basketball team was able to use this data to improve their shots.
Aseelah Ashraf Computers vs. Humans: How do Children Learn Best? BEH
COGN
Schools are beginning to question if teachers really are better than computers for their students’
education. Can computers not only take over the job of teaching, but also do it better than humans?
This science fair experiment showed whether humans or computers were the best way to teach
students in the subject math. The hypothesis for this experiment was, if computer programs and
humans are used to teach math to students, then the children will learn best from the teachers. This
was the hypothesis because I thought humans could teach students in the best manner because of their
ability to work well with others, and interact with the students. My experimental results did not support
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
my hypothesis. The experiment showed that there was no significant difference between the two
groups.
Sara Gibson
Do Boys or Girls Respond More Aggressively to Frustration?
BEH
COGN
Frustrating situations are everywhere, but how we react to them may vary with our gender. This science
fair project will determine if boys or girls in junior high have more severe reactions to frustrating
situations. The hypothesis stated that boys would have the most noticeable indicators of frustration,
such as anger, confusion, and motivation to try harder. To test this hypothesis, an electromagnetic grid
was constructed, on which the participants had to copy a pattern with colored paperclips. While they
did this, the test administrator sat on the opposite side of a separator and tampered with the board to
make the paperclips fall, rendering the seemingly simple task impossible. An equal amount of boys and
girls were videotaped attempting the test. The tapes were reviewed, and a rating of their frustration
was recorded every twenty seconds of the three minutes allotted based on a scale. According to my
results, a girl in junior high will react twice as strongly to frustration as a boy. None of the test subjects
reacted very aggressively.
Lily McLaughlin
Does Visualization Improve Performance?
BEH
COGN
Visualization is the use of mental images to influence bodily processes, control pain or prepare for
athletic or other kinds of performance. In other words visualization is a technique in which imagination
is creating outcomes. The purpose of this experiment is to determine how different types of practice,
(mental practice physical practice, and no practice), would affect the improvement in balance. The
hypothesis stated that the subjects in the group "physically and mentally practice" would be able to
stand on the block for a longer time than the subjects in the group "no practice". The material used
were 12 students, a stopwatch, pencil, notebook and a 6x6x2 inch block. The students were each tested
in sequence of the "no practice", "physical practice" and "mental and physical practice" categories.
Initially individuals were tested without practicing on the block, and documented in "no practice".
Secondly the same group was given 5 minutes to practice balancing on the block. Once the practice
session had ended those same individuals were tested and data recorded as "physical practice". Finally,
the same group was educated on visualization and experienced a guided mediation visualizing the ability
to complete and improve their performance when balancing on the block. This data was recorded as
"mental and physical practice". The longer the person balanced the better the practice would be.
Abigail Shahady
Choice Blindness
BEH
COGN
The purpose of the study was to observe the presence of choice blindness meaning to see if people ae
able to distinguish that what they want (or a least think they want) is not actually what they receive. The
hypothesis states that due to other studies and research that the phenomenon of choice blindness will
affect the subject’s decision making and rational reasoning pertaining to these decisions. In this study to
test choice blindness, 30 subjects were asked to choose between two similar pictures in 19 different
sets, one of these including a control. After choosing the one picture the subject found ‘most appealing’
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
in each set, the subject then had to give a brief reasoning as to why they chose ‘that’ particular picture.
Although they are unaware that all the picture being shown to them (excluding the control) had been
switched for the picture the subject did not chose. The results showed that 72% of the time, subjects are
unaware a picture has been switched for the opposite of what they had chosen. Also that 19% of each
explanation of an unnoticed picture was completely contradictory to the originally chosen picture. Both
of these elements can be used to support the presence of choice blindness as well as the effect on
people in day to day life.
Caroline Bouchard
Music and Volleyball
BEH
COGN
This project is called "Music and Volleyball." The research question is 1- Will there be a difference in
accurate volleyball serves while music is being played? My hypothesis is 1- There will be a difference in
accurate vollleyball serves while music is being played. My topics researched in my chapter 2, Review of
Literature, were music, volleyball, classical music, jazz music, and pop music. My independent variable
was the type of music. My dependent variable was the number of accurate serves. My controlled
variables were the ages of the subjects, the height of the volleyball net, and the temperature of the
gymnasium. each subject served forty balls in all, ten to each of three different types of music and ten
to no music. The height of the net was the same every time and for each subject. The types of music
were classical, jazz, and pop. In my procedure, I first picked sixteen volleyball players from grades 6th,
7th, and 8th. I then tested each subject to see which type of music benefited them the most. I
calculated the total amount of accurate serves for each type of music and compared them to see which
one got the most accurate serves. Pop music got the best results. Second best was classical music, then
jazz. When the subjects served while listening to no music at all is when the got the least of their serve
in. The results were that my hypothesis was supported because there was a difference in accurate
volleyball serves while music was being played.
Caroline Lunne The Effect of Mathematic Education on Visual Spatial Thinking Ability BEH
COGN
Visual spatial thinking is a skill essential for everyday understanding. Many people desire to improve
their spatial thinking ability to essentially improve math, geography, and science abilities. With reliable
visual spatial skills one can also improve standardized test scores. This project tested to see if math can
improve a student’s visual spatial thinking ability. It was believed that if 50 students from Algebra 1,
Geometry 1, and Algebra 2 were given a multiple choice test that focused on their visual spatial ability,
then Algebra 2 students would show the best results indicating that math does improve visual spatial
thinking ability. For this experiment, 50 students were given a 7 question multiple choice test with 15
minutes finish the test. The test was administered to the students after they had completed one
semester of the class they were currently enrolled in. The overall average test scores for the three math
classes are as follows- Algebra 1: 3.94/7 and 56.29%, Geometry 1: 4.1/7 and 58.57%, Algebra 2: 5.0/7
and 72.29%. The following numbers show the number of incorrect and correct answers- Algebra 1: 154
incorrect, 196 correct, Geometry 1: 145 incorrect, 205 correct, Algebra 2: 97 incorrect, 253 correct. The
results proved the hypothesis correct because Algebra 2 students showed the best performance on the
test. The results showed that students in a higher level math class did better on the test, and therefore
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
have better visual spatial thinking. Because Geometry 1 students did better than Algebra 1 students and
Algebra 2 students did the best on the test, it can be concluded that the introduction of visual spatial
thinking questions that are practiced in a geometry course can easily improve a student’s visual spatial
thinking abilities.
Sean Nicely
No Pain All Game
BEH
COGN
"There’s been video games since 1947 and have always been used for plain fun and 68 years later,
people are finding alternate uses for video games. The purpose of this project was to find the effect of
video games on pain. It was hypothesized that if you play video games that you would feel less pain
because you have a mental distraction. Five test subjects were tested in a 55 degree Fahrenheit room
with no sunlight and stuck their feet in ice water for 30 seconds and then were asked to rate the pain.
Then they walked around for 14 minutes and then asked to stick their feet in ice water for 30 seconds
while playing video games. Then they were asked to rate their pain. Even with video games, the pain
did not decrease and in one case, even increased. The data was analyzed and it was concluded that
playing video games did not decrease pain, proving my hypothesis to be wrong. Playing video games in
accordance with the data, should not decrease or even affect pain.
Darby Bubp
Testing the Validity of the Learning Styles Test
BEH
COGN
How accurately does the standard learning styles test identify a person’s style of learning? If people are
tested using an alternate method to identify their learning styles, then the majority of results will not
match up to the respective results using the standard learning styles test. Each person was blindfolded
and listened to a recording. They were then tested to see which actions they remembered. The person
was then given noise-cancelling headphones, watched a soundless video, and tested on the actions they
remembered. Lastly, the person took the standard learning styles test to compare the results. In
conclusion, the hypothesis was supported. The data showed that out of all thirteen tests, nine of the
test results from the standard test did not match up with the science fair test. The standard learning
styles test was not accurate.
Maisie Leonard
How Does Age Relate To The Stroop Effect
BEH
COGN
This project is titled ‘How Does Age Relate To The Stroop Effect?’ The hypothesis of this project is that
second graders will more quickly be able to identify the colors of the words than middle schoolers
because for second graders, reading the word is not as automatic so the brain does not have to cope
with conflicting information.
In the experiment, subjects completed two timed tests. Test 1 timed how fast the subject could read the
words on the Stroop paper. Test 2 timed how fast the subject could name the colors of the words on the
Stroop paper. The research found that even though reading the word did not come quite as
automatically to the second graders as the middle schoolers, they still seemed to be affected by the
word/color conflict. As soon as a child learns to read, he/she is faced with the conflict.
The middle schoolers read the words and named the colors faster than the second graders. However,
there was not an extreme time difference. The experiment proved that the hypothesis was incorrect.
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
Middle schoolers were faster at reading the words and identifying colors because they are more
experienced readers and more experienced at identifying colors."
Ethan Alderman
The Effect of Color
BEH
COGN
The problem that was investigating was the effect of colors on memory retention of items on a list. The
way that was tested this they or method was by having my tester pick a number three through ten. The
tester had one minute to memorize the list of ten words. Then the words they remembered was
recorded. Finally the testers were given one minute to clear their mind of the past words. Then the test
was repeated six more times until the testers ran out of colored paper.
During testing it was noticed that most of the testers recited words aloud in order to remember them. It
was noticed that during testing a few testers made up stories to go along with the words to help
remember them. Often testers would fidget with their hands or tap their feet. It was unknown if that
action had an effect on the test results. During the test it seemed that brighter colors distracted the
testers. In one case the tester flipped over their paper to see what the name of the color was. I believe
this may have an altered on his or her test results, resulting in lower scores. During testing it was
noticed that testers asked to just get a certain color even though they know they had to pick a number.
The testers would then get aggravated when they didn’t get the color they wanted.
After testing and the results were added up blue came in first place with an average of 8.1 words per
test. In second place the color red averaged 7.65 words per test. In third place the color white averaged
7.4 words per test. The remaining colors placed in this order: green with an average of 6.85 words per
test, then pink with an average of 6.65 words per test, then the color yellow with an average of 6 words
per test, then the color purple with an average of 5.6 words per test, finally the color orange with an
average of 5.45 words per test. What was found was quite interesting, it was that male and female
averages were different. For the males the order from first to last was: blue with an average of 8.5
words per test, white averaged 7.9 words per test, red averaged 7.8 words per test, green averaged 7
words per test, pink had an average of 6.6 words per test, yellow with an average of 6.3 words per test,
orange had an average of 5.7 words per test, and finally purple with an average of 5.6 words per test.
For females the order from first to last was: blue with an average of 7.7 words per test, red has an
average of 7.5 words per test, white had an average of 6.9 words per test, pink and green tied with 6.7
words per test, then yellow with an average 5.7, then purple with 5.6 words per test, finally orange with
an average of 5.2 words per test. My hypothesis was rejected. The color orange did not improve the
number of words remembered the most. The color blue improved the number of words remembered
the most. My implication questions are: Would the results have changed if different variations of
colored paper were used, Could the results have been altered if they were given longer or shorter
periods of time to memorize the words, Would the results have changed if the words were written
down instead of articulated aloud and recorded, Could the results have changed if the words were
related, Would the results have been altered if they had just eaten, Could the results have been altered
if the testers were tested in a dimly lit room, Would the results have changed depending on the room
temperature, Could the results have been altered if different age testers were used, Would the results
have changed if testers were tested at the same time, Could the results have been altered if textured
paper had been used?
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
Raychel Costain
Child Dexterity
BEH
COGN
The purpose of this project was to discover whether the age or gender of a child determines the time in
which to solve or build a project. The expected result of the project was that all of the boys will have a
higher average than all of the girls. The actual experiment involved keeping a record of how much time
the child took to complete a task and recording observations. This was done by timing the child and then
averaging that by gender.
After the project, the data gathered showed that the males had an average time of 183 seconds to take
all for tests. However, the females had ad average time of 164 seconds."
John Kaelber
Sound and its Effects on Test Scores
BEH
COGN
The title of this project is ‘Sound and Its Effects on Test Scores.’ The research question of this
experiment is- ‘Will there be a difference in multiplication test scores when hearing rock music, classical
music, or a buzzing sound?’ The hypothesis of this experiment is- ‘There will be a difference in
multiplication test scores when hearing rock music, classical music, or a buzzing sound.’
Many topics were researched in Chapter 2. The topics that were researched in Chapter 2 include:
physics of sound, sound facts, music, Hertz, and how fast does sound travel. The independent variable
of the experiment is the different types of sounds and music. This variable is controlled by the
experimenter. The dependent variable of this experiment is the multiplication test scores percentages
measured by the self-made multiplication test scores. The controls of the experiment are the area
where the subjects take the tests, the age of the subjects, and the time given to complete the test.
There are many other controls in this experiment that are listed in Chapter 3.
Thirty test subjects were used in this experiment. The steps that were taken in this experiment include:
(1) selecting a topic, (2) making a research question, (3) selecting a hypothesis, (4) conducting research,
(5) making tests, (6) finding test subjects, (7) testing the subjects, and (8) finishing chapters.
In conclusion, the hypothesis and research question were supported. There was a slight difference in
the test score’s averages. While hearing no music, the average of the thirty test scores is about
92.33303333. While listening to classical music, the average of the test scores is about 92.7774; rock
music- about 95.11083333, and when hearing buzzing sounds, the average of the test scores is about
94.8886.
Lindsey Didier The Validity of Graphology as Compared to Reputable Personality Tests
COGN
41
BEH
Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
The purpose of this experiment was to determine the validity of graphology as compared to the results
gained from personality tests already recognized as reputable in the psychology community. My key
result was that, when compared to the data obtained from the results of three reputable personality
tests (Myers-Briggs, DISC, and Big Five), the graphology techniques applied to the cursive writing
samples of the volunteers delivered the same approximate data. Because the experiment yielded
conclusive results, I believe the purpose of this experiment to have been fully achieved.
Caroline Scharf
Can You Read the Color?
BEH
COGN
The Stroop Effect is used to show the difficulty the brain has overriding an automatic process. When a
person looks at a word, he automatically processes the meaning of the word. If the color of the printed
word and the meaning are the same, he will identify the color of the word easily because he is simply
reading the word. If there is a difference between word color and meaning, the task becomes more
difficult and takes longer to complete because he has to ignore the automatic process of reading and
instead pay attention to the color. The Stroop Effect is the increase in the time needed to identify the
color of the word when the meaning and color of the word do not match. The objective of this
experiment was to see if the Stroop Effect is greater for boys than girls. The hypothesis was that the
Stroop Effect would be greater in boys than in girls.
Ten boys and ten girls were shown words lists where the meaning and the color of the words were the
same (i.e., RED) and lists where the meaning and the color of the words were different (i.e., RED). The
average Stroop Effect was compared between boys and girls. The results of this study did not support
the hypothesis. The boys’ average processing time increased by 13.37 seconds. The girls’ average
processing time increased by 14.36 seconds. There was no significant difference in the Stroop Effect
between the boys and the girls.
Mitchell Button
How Does Age Affect Short Term Memory
BEH
COGN
Short term memory deals with the ability to remember small amounts of information for a short period
of time. Short term memory was tested with different age groups and genders.The goal was to see if
children or adults had better memory. After consent was given, the test was administered. A piece of
lined paper was distributed to each of the test subjects. Subjects were shown a series of numbers for
five seconds. Once the numbers disappeared, subjects then wrote down the numbers they
remembered. This recall method was tested with ten series of numbers. After testing was over, the
papers were graded. For each number missed, a point was deducted. 22 adults were tested and 22
children were tested. A perfect score was worth 70 points. Kids averaged 55, and adults averaged 61.2.
Danielle Ingram
Music Memory
BEH
COGN
The experiment, ‘Music Memory’, shows whether the decade of music a song is from affects the
amount of lyrics you can remember. Our reason for doing this project is that we realized that when
listening to music from an older time period, we couldn’t remember the lyrics as easily as more recent
music, even though we have heard the songs before. Therefore, we created our experiment. We
wanted to see if the decade a song is from affects the amount of lyrics you can remember. In our
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
testing, the subjects had to listen to ten, 15 second song clips. After listening, if they hadn't heard the
songs before they had to write down as many lyrics as they could remember. We made each song a
percentage of correct lyrics then averaged each song. After that we averaged each decade. We
concluded that the 2000’s was the decade with the most remembered lyrics.
Brooklynn Hall
Dominant Side?
BEH
COGN
Which side of your brain is your dominant side? Just because you write and throw with a certain hand,
kick with a certain foot, or have a dominant eye or ear, does that mean most people prefer the same
sides or different sides? My hypothesis is that the majority of the people I test will have the hand they
use match the side they use for their feet, eyes, and ears. Volunteers were given a series of three tests
each for hand, foot, eye, and ear dominance. The age and gender of the volunteers varies. The results
clearly indicate that the people tested with my testing procedures clearly have a dominant side and that
for the majority of people tested it is their right side. The results soundly support that the hand that you
use, your dominant hand, does match the side you use for your foot, eye, and ear regardless if you are
left or right handed. The results of my testing clearly confirmed my stated hypothesis.
Lauren Turner
Does Music Effect Memory
BEH
COGN
The purpose of this science fair project is to determine how music affects a subject’s memory. The
hypothesis for this project is, if subjects are given a memory test without music and with music of their
own choice, then subjects will do better on the test when music of their own choice is used.The controls
in this experiment were the same memory test, use of headphones,a quiet environment, and the same
opportunity to become familiar with the test before being timed. The variables in the experiment were
the amount of time it took subjects to complete the memory test, which is the dependent variable, and
the use of music, which is the independent variable. The way the dependent variable is measured is
time. The result of this experiment was that subjects did better on the memory test when they took it
with their own music playing than when they took the memory test without music. The results show
that the hypothesis should be considered true because twenty one out of thirty subjects did better on
the memory test with their own music than with no music. If this experiment was to be done again in
the future, the changes that would be made are that more subjects would be tested and a different
more challenging memory test would be used.
Maura Homan
The Effect of Color on Memory
BEH
COGN
The purpose of my experiment was to find out if color affects memory in female and males. One thing I
was hoping to learn from my experiment was if color, especially for educational purposes, can be helpful
to increase the things a human can memorize. My experimental procedure was making a list with half
the words in black ink and red colored ink. I would give each test subject three minutes to memorize the
list and then collect the paper. Next, the test subjects would write down all the words they can
remember on the paper for three minutes. I would then look at the amount of black and red colored
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
words remembered and record my results. The control variables were the gender, grade, time given for
both the test, number of words, and the environment of the test that is being taken. The independent
variable was the colored words and the dependant variable was the red and black words remembered.
The data from the male gender supported my hypothesis because they remembered more red words
with an average of nine words and only six black words remembered on average. However, the females
remembered more black words with an average of ten words and seven colored words on average,
which contradicts my hypothesis. In conclusion, males remember colored words better and females
remember non-colored words better. This research was helpful because it can help teachers and others
decide whether color can really help for educational purposes with each gender.
Jessica Toncler
The Music Effect
BEH
COGN, PHYS
This project is entitled The Music Effect. This project shows the effects classical music (Beethoven,
Mozart, Brahms,and Bach), country music, pop music, and alternative rock music has on second grade
students while test taking. In the experiment 7 different composers were played in the background
while students were given 6 minutes to take simple addition and subtraction tests.. Next the tests were
collected and graded, and the data was analyzed. The data shows that country music had the most
positive effect on the scores, alternative rock came in at second, and classical music (Brahms and
Beethoven) were .3% and .35% behind. The data proves that music is ideal to the learning process, and
helps with the concentration of students.
Jacob Littler
Fastest self-defense technique to escape the wrist grab?
BEH
COGN
The purpose of this experiment is to determine the fastest self-defense technique to escape an attacker.
This experiment can be used to educate citizens on self-defense techniques that they can use to protect
themselves. My hypothesis is that the Wrist Sweep will be the fastest self-defense technique to escape
the wrist grab. In this experiment I measured 10 feet and used a large space for the participants to
perform three different self-defense techniques. I taught the techniques to two participants at a time
and made safety a priority. For the test, I timed the participants while they alternated turns performing
the wrist grab and the techniques prior to running 10 feet away from the attacker. The fastest
technique for the males was the Wrist Sweep and the Arm Break was the fastest for the females. If I
were to do this experiment again I would only test adolescence and adults. I would also gather the
participants’ weight and height to determine whether it affects the speed outcome. I would also
consider testing participants who are wearing a consistent type of clothing, for example wearing
lightweight clothing rather than wearing heavyweight clothing.
Penelope Hartley
Does the Classroom Atmosphere Change Student Performance? BEH COGN
Could creating a particular atmosphere inside the classroom actually change student performance on
tests? This experiment explores the effects of the testing atmosphere created by instructors on their 7th
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
grade students at a suburban middle school. If creating a particular classroom atmosphere actually
improves the test scores of 7th graders, than teachers everywhere could use this to every student’s
advantage by creating an environment conducive toward strong test performance. I collaborated with
teachers in five different school subjects. Each student took two moderately difficult, grade appropriate,
subject specific quizzes. The first quiz was administered in a happy environment where teachers passed
out candy and followed a script designed to present a kind attitude. A few weeks later, the second quiz
was administered in a more serious environment with no candy and teachers presented a stern attitude.
My hypothesis was that making kids feel good, in a happy environment, while taking tests will cause
them to perform better. I expected that the students would be drawn to good performance by candy
and the kind attitude of the teacher. I expected to see higher grades from tests conducted in the happier
environment.
The experiment results did not support my hypothesis. The data shows that when the environment was
more serious the students did better with little to no significant impact on their level of happiness or
stress. Although my hypothesis was not supported the study went well and was very informative, and I
would like to further investigate this topic."
Allison Chitwood
Emotional Eating and Parenting Practices
BEH
COGN
This project studies the emotional eating and parenting practices of all ages and genders. Statistics say
over seventeen percent of children under age 19 are overweight or obese. Emotional eating is using
food to make oneself feel better. Emotions can create obsessions with food and this often begins in
childhood. A Google Forms survey was made with 312 responders. The purpose being to find trends
between ages, genders, and parenting habits. This was the determined hypothesis: Older people
emotionally eat more than younger people; women emotionally eat more than men; parents frequently
use food to help a child cope or celebrate. Participants took the brief survey and the results were tallied
in many ways. Older people and younger people show no correlation. Women emotionally eat more
than men. Parents often have similar eating patterns to the feeding of their own children. Results
showed to prove some parts of the hypothesis. Parents can find alternatives to feeding unhealthy foods
and instilling emotional eating in their children.
Erika Lamb
Boy/ Girl eyewitness account
BEH
Do boys or girls have better eyewitness account ability after twenty four hours? Children saw a woman
and then took a test on her appearance the next day. Boys had better eyewitness account ability after
twenty four hours.
Dylan Walczak The Filtering of a Shoe Advertisement Affecting Teenagers' Perceptions
Cognitive Psychology and Learning
BEH
We are constantly surrounded and consumed by advertisements on a daily basis. The purpose of this
experiment was to determine if applying different filters to shoe advertisements directed toward
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
teenage boys and girls would affect the probability of teenagers buying the product directed toward
them. It was hypothesized that if you change the filtering of a shoe advertisement, the nashville (bright,
color enhanced) filter will achieve the highest probability of being bought for both genders. Fifteen
teenage boys and girls were surveyed and given ten seconds to state the probability from 1-10 of them
purchasing the Nike shoe presented to them. The first advertisement presented was of regular color, the
second advertisement had the inkwell (B&W) filter applied to it, the third advertisement had the sutro
(sepia) filter applied to it, and the fourth advertisement had the nashville (bright, color enhanced) filter
applied to it. It was found that the original ad and the nashville (bright, color enhanced) filter achieved
the highest rating for the teenage boys, and the nashville (bright, color enhanced) filter achieved the
highest rating for the teenage girls. This did not support the hypothesis that the nashville (bright, color
enhanced) filter would achieve the highest rating for both genders.
Kamaria Walton
athletes
BEH
Motivation, adherence and performance in female high school cross country
Cognitive Psychology and Learning
Intrinsic motivation, duration of training, and adherence to training plans have been shown to positively
impact performance in adult and collegiate athletes. However, a gap exists in the exercise science and
behavioral science literature when it comes to female high school cross-country athletes. The objectives
of my study were to examine: first, if intrinsic motivation was correlated with adherence to training
plans; second, if those athletes who adhered to their training plans performed better during the
competitive season than those who did not; and third, if higher summer weekly mileage predicted
better competitive season performances in this population. Analyses were performed on data from 52
female high school cross country athletes to examine differences between athletes who were
intrinsically motivated/adherent/high performers and those who were not. Results revealed that
motivation was not correlated with adherence and that adherence was not correlated with performance
at a statistically significant level. However, adherence was correlated with higher summer mileage.
Additionally, when these variables were evaluated in a logistic regression model, motivation and
mileage were significant predictors of performance. These data suggest that high performing female
high school cross country athletes tend to be intrinsically motivated and run higher summer weekly
mileage than those who are not high performers. However, these high performing athletes don’t
necessarily need to adhere to a coach-developed training plan in order to be successful. Adherence may
still be important for average/below average performers. Future research should concentrate on
investigating the mechanism by which motivation influences performance in this population.
Anna Nolan
Effect of Age on One's Reaction to Frustration
BEH
Upon observing that different people show different types of frustration, the question arose whether or
not different age groups generally display similar or different reactions to frustration. The following
hypothesis was formed: If age affects one’s response to frustration, then younger ages will show more
apathetic and aggressive responses to frustration than older people. To test the hypothesis, test
subjects were asked to perform a seemingly simple task that was impossible to complete. As each
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
volunteer attempted to copy a pattern using paper clips onto an electromagnetic grid, another
individual would be behind a screen, changing the polarity of the magnets so that the paper clips would
not stick, which generated frustration in the test subject. Each test subject was recorded as they
participated in the experiment, and the videos were then examined to see which types of frustration the
participants displayed. All reactions were classified as being either positive, seeking clarification, trying
different strategies, aggression, apathy, physical response without anger, persistence, or enlightenment.
After the data was analyzed, the hypothesis was refuted. In reality, both the oldest and youngest age
groups displayed apathetic and aggressive responses. This was because the peer influence was greater
for some age groups than others. The results from this experiment would be useful in a school setting.
If a teacher considered the age and ability to cope with frustration of each student before assigning
them a task and deciding the difficulty of it, frustration would be minimal and success would increase.
Maleea Roy
Learning
Liar Liar: A Study on the Pinocchio Arm Effect BEH
Cognitive Psychology and
The purpose of my science experiment is to test the hypothesis that lying has a significant and greater
effect on the physical response of the human body. If this is true, then science proves that a definite way
to tell if someone is showing signs of deceit exists. According to Linda Stroh of Loyola University in
Chicago, ‘we have to think before we answer and we have to plan what we say and do, rather than
saying and doing what comes more naturally. We waste a lot of precious time covering our tracks rather
than spending that time in positive ways, doing good things." Not only does lying take a toll on a
person’s stress level, it can affect our health. However, lying proves to be a learned and easy skill
humans hone over time. From a very young age, children begin to learn that they can trick another
person into believing something that isn’t true. This can grow into a serious problem however. Business
scandals, unfaithful relationships, and other immoral and less honorable things occur when people allow
themselves to cover their tracks in the completely not true view that they won’t get caught. Pamela
Meyer, a lie detection expert states that, ‘liespotters are armed with scientific knowledge of how to spot
deception.’ This means that those who desire the truth and want to arm themselves with the knowledge
to get there, can and will. My experiment isn’t aimed towards playing a game just to show the
knowledge I’ve accumulated about deception, but to illuminate the truth and how to get there.
Matthew Bachman
Short Term Memory
BEH
Cognitive Psychology and Learning
Short term memory is very important for many things including learning. Some people seem to have a
better short term memory than others. Does gender make a difference? The study was designed with
the independent variable being gender. The dependent variable was the scores on a short term memory
test. The variables controlled for were grade level, the online test that allowed for viewing the letters for
only 3 seconds, and instructions and material provided to all the students. The test had 6 phases with an
increasing number of letters to remember in each phase. After all the students had been given the test,
students’ answer sheets were graded and the scores for each student were placed on 2 data sheets, one
for boys and one for girls. Then the mean and the range were found for the group of boys and the group
of girls. The boys’ group got an average of 77.97% of the letters correct. The girls’ group got an average
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
of 79.58% of the letters correct. The hypothesis predicted that the sixth grade boys that took the short
term memory test would score higher than the sixth grade girls. Based on the data that the girls’
average scores were 1.61% higher than the boys’ average scores, the hypothesis was rejected. The
conclusion was that gender made only a slight difference in short term memory between sixth grade
girls and boys and the girls scored higher.
Grace Moser
Apophenia
BEH
Cognitive Psychology and Learning (COGN)
You use sound as one of their many tools every day, but can the brain mislead you to hear sound that
isn’t really there? This project looks at if you can condition the brain to hear something that isn’t there.
The test subjects in this experiment were told that they would hear an easily recognizable song mixed
with white noise, and they were asked to say when they could no longer hear the music. My hypothesis
was that the test subjects in my experiment would imagine the music after it wasn’t playing anymore. By
having them listening to an easily recognizable song, it conditioned them to hear it after it was already
off because they could imagine the words. The results supported my hypothesis. All of my test subjects
thought that the music was still playing after it was at zero decibels.
Kristen Kollar
Effect of Surface Pattern on Depth Perception
BEH
CONG
Many familiar visual illusions have shown that distance and depth perception can be modified by
context. In this experiment, I investigated whether surface patterns have an effect on depth perception.
I hypothesized that a diagonal pattern would increased depth, and a chevron pattern would accentuate
the effect. Depth perception was tested with the hidden reaching paradigm. Subjects viewed a
reference object sitting on a patterned surface, and placed a duplicate object at the same perceived
distance. However, the duplicate object and arm were hidden from view behind a screen. Distances
were measured using motion detectors. The results did not show a significant effect of pattern on depth
perception.
Caroline France
Taking a Look Beyond the Surface: Jr. High Students Perception of Beauty
BEH
GOGN, PHYS, SOCI
The purpose of this two-part experiment is to 1) analyze how a subjects personal sense of their outward
beauty compares to evaluators perception of their (subjects) outward beauty, and 2) study the influence
subjects’ inner beauty has on evaluators perception of their (subjects) beauty. To conduct this
experiment pictures were taken of 50 subjects from St. Columban’s Junior High class. Subjects then
completed a questionnaire rating their outward beauty and responding to questions assessing
characteristics of inner-beauty. Forty-four junior high students from a neighboring school served as
evaluators, reviewing each subjects’ photo and assigning an outward beauty rating of 1-10 (1 =lowest,
10=highest.) Next, evaluators were given each subject’s photo paired with their completed
questionnaire. Evaluators then provided a second beauty rating on a scale of 1-10. The results indicate
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
no correlation between subjects rating their outward beauty high and receiving high outward beauty
scores from evaluators; nor was there a correlation between subjects rating their outward beauty low
and receiving low outward beauty scores from evaluators. When inner beauty characteristics were
taken into account beauty scores rose.
Shannon Dillon
Subliminal Messaging: Does it really work?
BEH
PHYS
The purpose of this experiment was to test which types of subliminal messaging would affect people’s
decision making, since a lot of media uses it in advertisements. There is visual and auditory subliminal
messaging, and out of those two categories are the subcategories; direct and indirect. The hypothesis
was that all visual subliminal messaging would affect a person’s choices, and auditory would not. To test
this, 250 of each color M&M were placed in separate bags. Each trial, the test subjects were required to
take 5 M&M’s of their choice. There were 5 trials conducted. The first trial was controlled, with no
added stimulation. The second one was indirect audio, which featured classical music and a hidden
message to choose blue. The third trial was direct audio, which featured a song that said the word ‘blue’
throughout. The fourth trial was an indirect visual, which featured a funny video, but had a red M&M
displayed on the screen for a fraction of a second. The fifth trial was a direct visual, which featured an
advertisement that showed mainly red colors. The results showed that visual worked better than
auditory, and direct worked better than indirect.
Hayden Frase
The appeal of playing cards based off color and complexity of design
BEH
PHYS
Playing cards come in a variety of colors and designs. The purpose of this experiment is to see if the is a
relationship between the color and design to the appeal of the design.it was hypothesized that cooler
colors and complex designs would be more appealing. Out of a batch of 150 decks of cards 16 were
selected (8 for color 8 for design). A picture of each set was taken and each card given a number 1-8.
The pictures were then used to ask 50 people to select their favorite card based on color and based on
design. It was found that there was no overall preference for color, but complex designs were chosen
were preferred over simple designs. The hypothesis was partly supported in a preference of complex
design was shown but not a preference in color.
Ethan Dominique
PHYS
Does Visualization affect the mental aspect of shooting free throws
BEH
The purpose of this project was to see if visualization could improve free-throw shooting. As a basketball
player I would like to find additional techniques to improve my game.
To test this, there were two groups of ninth and tenth graders. The groups were carefully selected so
that each group had a cross section of athletes. Each student tried ten free throws. Over the course of
the experiment, one group actually practiced shooting free throws, and the other group employed
visualization for their practice. Each student was tested again when the experimental time was over.
The results were very interesting. In the visualization group seven people improved their number of free
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
throws made from the pretest. In the control group six improved, but the telling number of free throws
made by the visualization group nearly doubled the amount in the control group. Statistically the control
group did not show improvement; however, the experimental group had a t-score of 2.75 with a critical
value of 1.813, showing significance.
The research hypothesis was accepted.
Zara Ali
The Effects of Food Intake Upon Stress Levels in Young Adults BEH
PHYS
As seen through previous research, there is a distinct connection between stress levels and eating. To
validate and expand on this research, teenagers were sampled from a suburban high school to
determine whether or not lunch consumption had a significant impact on their daily stress levels. It was
hypothesized that teenagers who eat satisfying meals that are appropriate in food groups and caloric
value will obtain a lower stress level than those who do not. For this to be tested, 15 students were
evaluated on their morning and afternoon cortisol levels and the difference was determined. They were
tested over a three-day period, after which samples were frozen and then tested for the amount of
cortisol per sample. It was discovered with a p-value of 0.06 and a t-score of -2.08 that the stress levels
of teenagers could be maintained and likely reduced by consuming lunch, and potentially increased
without the consumption of lunch. This implies that consuming lunch has shown to be a significant
contributing factor in the stress levels of teenagers.
Mia Prasinos
A Study on Competition and Reinforcement
BEH
PHYS
In order to understand if reinforcement effects competition, one must first understand competition,
reinforcement, and the brain structure. In this experiment on competition and reinforcement, it was
hypothesized that, if two kids are doing a puzzle, and one is praised and not the other, then the one with
no reinforcement will do better. Each subject was placed at a desk with ipads on them. The subjects
then did puzzles on the ipads and their frustration levels and the number of pieces finished were
recorded. The subjects were then given positive reinforcement and compared with the subjects given
negative reinforcement. The results for this experiment were inconclusive, since the averages were less
than a fraction apart. The subjects given positive reinforcement had 3.7 as the average number of pieces
finished and the average frustration level of 2.16. This was very close to the subjects given negative
reinforcement, as they had 3.29 as the average number of pieces finished and the average frustration
level of 2. These results for this hypothesis were inconclusive since what was predicted was not proved
or disproved. The information is important because we all want to know the best way to teach their
kids, and this research could help us find the answer in the future.
Logan Woodyard
The Effects of Dementia on Various Age Groups
BEH
PHYS
In this experiment, five different age categories are tested to find accurate readings and results from the
stimulation effects of Dementia. By creating a kit of padded gloves, impairing goggles, earplugs and
painful feet inserts, the subjects experience a realistic example of Dementia patient obstacles. If the
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
subjects try to do the tasks normally, then their time will be at least two minutes faster than trying the
tasks while impaired. The procedure includes 10 tasks Alzheimer's and Dementia patients have the
greatest struggle completing such as cutting with scissors and buttoning a coat. Times will be recorded
and additional observations witnessed from 20 subjects are organized in graphs and charts. The first trial
is done either with or without the stimulation kit and the second trial is vice versa. After three
experiments the procedure and materials were mended to make the test more challenging and
accurate. The third and final experiment executed consisted of 5 age groups. The occurring results
proved that the two younger male age categories dominated over thirty and older age groups. The
observations seemed that male subjects were more fit and had a sharp memory as well as quick fine
motor skills compared to the older three categories. The main intentions are to evoke greater empathy
for people and caretakers who personally know or have witnessed someone with Dementia.
Morgyn Siegel
Do Dribbling Drills Help with Ball Handling Skills?
BEH
PHYS
This experiment tested if dribbling drills help with ball handling skills. The hypothesis was that the
students who completed the dribbling drills for 3 weeks would improve 3 % more than the students
who did not to the drills as shown by their time on the drills. This was tested by using 10 female
basketball players and making them do some ball handling drills. The experimenter made them do
figure 8’s, non dribbling figure 8’s, dribbling twice up and down the court dribbling as fast as they could,
and having them go up and down the court crossing over between cones. The experimenter took 6 of
the 12 girls and had them do extra drills for 3 weeks. Then their final times of all the girls was taken and
compared it to their beginning times. With some subjects you could tell that the drills did improve their
ball handling skills. Some of the subjects are not capable of having good eye-hand coordination, which is
needed to handle the basketball. With other subjects are capable of being excellent ball handlers
because they have the eye-hand coordination. Even if the subjects don’t have very good eye-hand
coordination doesn’t mean that they couldn't be a decent ball handler if they work on their eye-hand
coordination. If the subjects put more effort into training they will improve on their ball handling. Some
people don’t have the motivation to train everyday working on their ball handling. The experimenter
could tell who put time and effort into training while the other ones seemed like they didn’t even want
to play.
Gina Stuckey
Does Preference of Color Affect Memory?
BEH
PHYS
Described here is how color can affect your memory. In more descriptive terms, can your preference of
color affect how well you remember information. The hypothesis for this experiment was preference of
color will increase test results by at least 25%. The procedure was conducted by giving five subjects a
colored piece of paper with twenty different simple images placed in a random order. The subjects were
then asked which of the colors was their favorite. Given a minute, they were asked to attempt to
memorize the order of the images. After a minute was over they were then asked to lay the images out
in the order they thought they were on the colored piece of paper. They were then asked to repeat
these steps for 6 additional colors, each with images placed in a different order. After the subjects were
finished with each color, the amount they missed was recorded. The colors they were tested on
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
included blue, green, yellow, pink, purple, teal, and white. The average amount of images that were
placed incorrectly was 9.5. The average amount missed, on all 7 trials excluding the subject’s preferred
color was 8 images. The average amount missed on all trials was 8.2 images. These results lead to the
conclusion that preference of color doesn't affect memory in a positive way, but in a negative way.
Therefore, in the future people shouldn't use their preferred color to study.
Jarrett Bellin The Effect of Eating a Nutritious Meal on a Pilot's Performance in an Emergency
Situation
BEH
PHYS
This project is ‘The Effect of Eating a Nutritious Meal on a Pilot’s Ability to Maneuver an Aircraft in an
Emergency Situation,’ with research conducted by JT Bellin and Logan Ritter. This project’s purpose is to
see if a pilot did not eat before a flight, if his or her performance would be affected in an emergency
situation, therefore providing useful information for pilots everywhere. It is likely that a pilot could be
rushed and thus not eat before a flight. The hypothesis of the project is if a pilot has not eaten the day
that he or she flies, then it will take more time to maneuver the aircraft in the event of an engine failure.
,The procedure is to test 4 pilots on a simulator on two different days. On one day, the pilots did not eat,
and on another day, the pilots ate high-carbohydrate and high-fat foods before their flight. On each set
of testing, the pilot was placed into a different aircraft at a different location. Then, after taking off and
making radio contact Air Traffic Control, they were put into a high-stress situation that was different for
each test. After this high-stress situation was induced, their engine was failed. After that moment, the
researchers recorded the amount of time it took for the pilot to perform a checklist and decide on a field
to land, and how well they maneuvered the aircraft in the situation. Ultimately, the performance of the
pilots was significantly affected by a lack of nutrition to the extent that it could affect whether or not the
flight ended safely.
Robin Bodner
How Does Anxiety Affect Motor Skills?
BEH
PHYS
This project idea was conjured up from my own personal experiences of ‘choking’ under pressure in
situations involving a good deal of motor skills. I decided to determine if anxiety affected motor skills.
The hypothesis was that there would be a 20% increase in reaction time with the addition of an anxietyinducing situation. I located some research that was peripherally-related to my hypothesis, but little was
shown directly confirming or negating it. Participants were volunteers: students, teachers, or friends of
Buckeye Trail High School. Participants were given two sets of three anagrams and were timed on how
fast they completed said anagrams. The first set would be a control set. The second set pressure was
added by informing the participants they had to complete the set in a seemingly unreasonable amount
of time and by recording the participants and, with consent, informing them that their performance
would be shown on film to a class. Data was analyzed using Minitab software. Several factors affected
the results, including snow days, how the tiles were laid out, and error in decreasing the length of the
experiment. My hypothesis was not supported. In comparing most of the anagrams, the anagrams in
quiet and under stress were similar. In comparing one set, however, the participants actually all had
QUICKER reaction times under stress. Ultimately, the data is hard to develop conclusive results from
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due to low sample size and a large variance in subject times.
Eric Green
Power of packaging: Does color affect decision making?
BEH
PHYS
The purpose of this science fair experiment was to discover whether the color schemes used in
packaging affect a child’s willingness to try food. I hypothesized that the cereal box cover with the warm
color scheme would be highly rated amongst the participants.
Informed consent was obtained for 55 children in age from 5 to 13 years. Each participant was shown 4
cereal box covers with various color schemes. Neutral, warm, cool, and Earth tone color schemes were
used for the cereal box covers. Participants were given a survey, scaled from 1 to 10, to rate their
willingness to try each cereal.
In conclusion, the hypothesis was correct as the warm color schemed cereal box cover had the highest
average rating, 7.3. The second highest rated cereal box cover had a cool color scheme with an average
rate of 6.6. The third highest rated cereal box cover had an Earth tone color scheme with an average
rate of 5.6. The lowest rated was a cereal box cover with a neutral color scheme with an average rating
of 2.5. Ultimately, it is evident that the color of packaging affects a child’s willingness to try food and
should be considered when educating children about healthy food choices.
McKenna Brown
Music and Blood Pressure
BEH
Phys
If four different genres of music are played and a person's blood pressure is measured, then the rock
music will make their blood pressure change the most. This hypothesis was proven incorrect within
testing. First, information was gathered off of the internet to learn more about blood pressure, and how
music can affect it. After all information was collected, 7 people willing to participate in the experiment
were gathered, and a hypothesis was made to try to predict the outcome. Each person went through the
following steps: sitting in a quiet room without talking for 5 minutes to find their resting blood pressure.
Afterwards, they listened to 1 minute of rock music. After 1 minute of the first genre, their blood
pressure was recorded. There was another 5 minute resting period in between each song. Then, country
music was played for 1 minute and their blood pressure was recorded. After that, there was another 5
minute resting time. Then, there was 1 minute of pop music, followed again by 5 minutes of rest. Finally,
1 minute of classical music, and another blood pressure measuring. After the data was recorded, it was
compared to all other data. Then, the data sets were put into a line graph and a data table. When the
data was compared, it was concluded that country music made the majority of blood pressures change
the most. That was when the hypothesis above was proven incorrect.
Jessica Clark
How Does Your Sense of Smell Affect Taste?
BEH
PHYS
This Science fair project is about whether or not your sense of smell affects your sense of taste. The
hypothesis is that yes, your smell does affect your sense of taste. As anyone with a cold or sickness
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affecting their sense of smell can attest, food tastes different.
During the experimentation phase, it was explained to volunteers the purpose of the test and how it
would take place. Each volunteer was given one of four different foods that had been previously cut into
bite sizes and stored in separate and labeled containers. During test one, they wore a nose plug and
blindfold, tasted each food, and gave a guess on their opinion of the food. During test two, each
volunteer removed the nose plugs, wore the blindfold, tasted each food, and again gave a guess on their
opinion of the food. Demographic data on each volunteer, along with their guesses as to the food types,
was collected. From the demographic information, data was classified into 5 different groups: female
and male, under age 55, over age 55, and all test subjects.
From this experiment it was concluded that most people go by texture to distinguish certain foods when
they have no sense of smell. It was also found that younger people had a tad bit more accuracy when
stating what they were tasting. This test supported its hypothesis that your sense of smell does affect
your sense of taste."
ZacharyDix
Philosophy of Distractions
BEH
PHYS
The purpose of the experiment was to figure out how certain distractions affect productivity. The
hypothesis behind the experiment was that out of several types of distraction, watching television with
sound would produce the most negative. To test this I gathered a group of subjects who were asked to
work on five worksheets while being subjugated to four different distractions. Afterwards, I asked each
person which distraction they felt was the worse. The results of the experiment show my hypothesis is
correct in that watching television with sound increased the amount of time taken to complete the
assigned worksheet. This conclusion was further proven when each person stated that they felt more
distracted during this particular testing session. It did not have the most incorrect answers though,
which I found quite peculiar. Overall, the entire experiment was successful whether or not the
hypothesis was proven correct.
Sydney Shoaf
HeartBeats: How Does Music Affect Heart Rate?
BEH
PHYS
This experiment looked at the effects that different types of music have on a subject’s heart rate and
perceived emotion. Eight subjects participated in this experiment. One at a time, their heart rate would
be measured and recorded. Then, a certain genre of music was played, such as rock, and their heart rate
was recorded again. When their heart rate was recorded, they were then asked a few questions about
how the song made them feel. This series of steps was repeated four more times, once for each genre.
The hypothesis was that the classical music would slow the heart rate the most, and the horror music
would raise the heart rate the most. Another hypothesis was that certain kinds of emotions would raise
heart rates, while others would lower them. It was discovered that the horror genre had the highest
average percent change in heart rate, and the classical genre resulted in a decrease in heart rate for
most subjects. Also, the most commonly selected emotions were happy, excited, and relaxed. Usually,
when relaxed was chosen, it was used to describe a song that made one’s heart rate drop. When excited
was used, it was usually describing a song that made one’s heart rate rise. Someday, this study may be
able to help others select music to impact their mood and heart rate.
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
Abigail Girard
Does Age Affect the Effect of a Placebo
BEH
PHYS
The Placebo Effect is defined as the use of a substance containing no medication and prescribed or given
to reinforce a patient’s expectation to get well. producing benefits that must therefore be due to the
patient’s belief in that treatment (‘placebo’). The problem investigated in this experiment was whether
age would affect the effect of a placebo. The experimenters hypothesized, in their alternative
hypothesis one, that adults would be more affected by the placebo. The experimenters tested 26 adults
and 26 high school students by giving them a simple eye test. Within each age group there was a
placebo group and a control group, each composed of 13 subjects. The placebo group performed a nonbeneficial eye exercise before they were given the eye exam. The subjects were told that the eye
exercise would improve their ability to do well on the test; however, in truth there is no correlation
between doing well on the exam and completing the eye exercise. The results of the experiment showed
that the adults were more affected by the placebo, as they did significantly better on the test with the
placebo than the control. Whereas, the high schoolers showed less of a statistical difference between
the averages of the placebo and control. The experimenters research shows that the psychological
effect of placebos varies by age.
Samantha Anderson
Beats with a Pulse
BEH
PHYS
For my experiment I wanted to find out if music you enjoy and don’t enjoy effect your heart rate in
anyway. My hypothesis was that music you do enjoy would make your pulse increase and music you
don’t like would make your pulse decrease. To test this I had to get test subjects to lie down and listen
to a couple of songs for me. Before I played the music I listed out five genres of music and asked what
their favorite and least favorite music is. I assessed their resting pulse then I would have them listen to
the first 45 seconds of the five songs that matched those genres. After each song I would assess and
document their heart rate. All of the variables were kept the same, they were all blindfolded, they were
lying in a supine position, and were instructed not to move during the experiment, and the music
volume was always kept at 50%. Overall I think I received consistent results.
Sara Yacoub
Heart and Emotions
BEH
PHYS
Does heart rate variability from social cues correlate with emotional intelligence? Standardized
emotional intelligence tests were taken by subjects and scored. These subjects’ heart rates were
recorded while watching a happy and a sad video. For each subject, heart rate variability was
determined by calculating the difference between the highest and lowest heart rate recorded while the
subject watched the videos. There was a direct correlation between the heart rate variability and
emotional intelligence score of each subject. Those who scored highest, medium, and lowest on the
emotional intelligence test had, respectively, the highest, medium, and lowest heart rate variability. This
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shows a definite relationship between the brain and the heart, and the possibilities of affecting one
organ by changes in the other.
Jenna Austin
S.O.S. Bedtime Remedies
BEH
PHYS
This project was to understand how to help children fall asleep faster. It is important that children fall
asleep fast because they need 10 to 11 hours of sleep each night, so they have enough energy for the
day. The problem is that sometimes children can't fall asleep and then they don't have enough energy to
learn. The hypothesis is that watching television will put someone to sleep the fastest because television
is boring. Every night for 40 nights, 1 of 4 different ways to fall asleep will be tested on a 7 year old boy
in his home. The four methods are lavendar oil spray, cold mist vaporizer, watching television or using
no help falling asleep at all. The final data showed no help at all was the best way to fall asleep because
a bright TV screen tells the mind it is daytime. This causes the body to have trouble falling asleep. This
project is important because kids need to get enough sleep to have energy to learn. This research can be
used to help struggling students to learn better sleep habit's to help them be a better student.
Lauryn Ruble Are Left Handed People More Ambidextrous Than Right Handed People at Performing
Certain Activities?
BEH
PHYS
The purpose of the experiment was to determine if left handed people are more ambidextrous than
right handed people when activities are performed. The hypothesis was also that left handed people will
be more ambidextrous than right handed people when performing certain activities because left handed
people use the nondominant hand more in the mostly right handed society. There were several
activities the participant had to perform. Those activities were the stone sort, foot tap, and the over and
underhand toss. The participant performed the activities with both the left and right hand. After all of
the participants were tested and the data was sorted into three different groups; age (adult and youth),
gender (male and female), and general. The data that was sorted was a wide range from about 0-30 and
no specific pattern was able to be found. So therefore, the experiment results were inconclusive
because of the wide range of results that was presented. But, based on the results that were an effect
from the conducted experiment it looked like the right handed dominant people were better at
performing the tests with the nondominant hand than the left handed dominant people.
Joshua Canare Does Playing Video Games Affect Reaction Time?
Science, Computer Graphics
BEH
SCIE - Computational
The experiment performed was: does playing video games affect reaction time? I hypothesized that
playing video games lessens reaction time. The materials used were this website:
https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/java/redgreen.html, pen and paper to record results, and 23
7th graders. Two questions were asked: how many hours a week they played video games and the types
of games they played.
I then used the website which included a simple reaction time test: when a stoplight changed color, the
subject clicked a button with the mouse as fast as they could. The subjects’ reaction times were
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
recorded five times and averaged. The results showed that males’ reaction times decreased the most
when they played about 3-5 hours of video games. For females, it was 0-2 hours.
Overall, the subjects reacted faster when they played 1-2 hours. The control group, who did not play at
all, averaged 0.34936 seconds. Those who played 1-2 hours averaged 0.30638 seconds. Those who
played longer had slower reaction times. A person's reaction time is shortened by video games, and it is
shortest when a person plays 1-2 hours. After 1-2 hours, their reaction time slows.
Matthew Hallas Positive and Negative Affirmation Affecting Memorization Ability
BEH
Soc
There is a better way to go about memorizing words. You must think positively! The purpose of my
experiment is to determine if positive and negative affirmation (influenced expectation) affect
memorization ability. It could make memorization much easier and help your learning. My hypothesis
stated, ‘If you test positive and negative affirmation affecting memorization ability, then positive
affirmation will improve scores and negative affirmation will worsen scores.’ I tested this theory by
having a slideshow presentation test. I showed ten words at a time for one minute. After that minute,
the test subject would then have to read a passage out loud to distract themselves from the words.
After reading for one minute, the test subjects then had one minute to write all the words they could
remember from the slides. This was repeated for the controlled words, ‘easy’ words, and ‘hard’ words.
The words weren't really easier or harder, that was just stated to influence positive or negative
affirmation. The 10 words for each test were pulled from a large collection of 30 words shuffled each
time to give random words to each test every time a new test is given. This eliminates bias based on
some words being more difficult than others. What I found from my experiment was that the
participants on the first test (control group) averaged expecting to get 6.5 words correct, actually
answered 7.8 words correctly. On the ‘easy’ test (positive affirmation) the participants on average
expected to get 7.6 words correct and they actually averaged 7.9 words. On the final ‘hard’ test
(negative affirmation) the participants on average expected to get 6.4 words correct, but they actually
on average answered 7.6 words correct. This means for both expected and actual results, the lowest
number correct was the ‘hard’ test, than the controlled or first test, then the participants scored the
highest on the ‘easy’ test. This means that my hypothesis was correct. Positive affirmation (easy test)
improved scores and negative affirmation (hard test) worsened scores. With this data from my
experiment, I can conclude that a positive attitude really can help you learn.
Victoria Esposito
Effects of Message Presentation on Connotation
BEH
SOCI
Written messages are often unclear which lead to misunderstandings of its connotation. The purpose of
this experiment is to see how the adding or lack of capitalization, punctuation, and emojis will affect the
interpretation of the message. It was hypothesized that if more punctuation, capitalization, and emojis
are used, then the message will have an extreme interpretation of its connotation. Five messages were
made in four different ways: normal grammar, no capitalization or punctuation, added capitalization and
punctuation, and normal grammar with an emoji. Fifty people were tested where they read the twenty
messages and rated it as positive, neutral, or negative. It was found that when capitalization,
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
punctuation, or emojis were added, it was interpreted at extreme (positive or negative), and when it
was plain or normal grammatically, it was interpreted as neutral. This supported the hypothesis that the
more added to the message, the more extreme the interpretation of the message would be.
Katherine Murphy
the Present (2014)
Analyzing Female Gender Roles in Marvel Comics from the Silver Age (1960) to
BEH
SOCI
Many people read comic books, but very few understand this form of American popular culture. Comics
do not exist in a vacuum. Popular culture and comic books offer the reader an inside look at how
society functioned when they were published. Comic books often parallel American culture, values, and
politics. Comics offer a window or tunnel into time, allowing readers to discover and track societal
changes over several decades, especially regarding women and female gender roles.
The purpose of this study was to determine if, how, and how much female gender roles have changed in
Marvel Comics from the Silver Age (1960) to the present to help understand how popular culture
portrays and treats women and female characters. It was hypothesized that female gender roles in
Marvel Comics in the last decade have become less stereotypical and more equitable as determined by
the seven-point quantifiable rubric as compared to the 1960’s. The seven categories were cover art,
Bechdel Test, storyline, occupation, balance of power, female sexualization, and violence against
women. The researcher reviewed 68 Marvel titles for a total of 788 Marvel Comic Books from the Silver
Age (1960) to the present (2014), broken down by decade from 1960-2014. Through the quantitative
content analysis, the average female gender role scores for Marvel comics consistently went up by
decade from 12.20 for 1960-1969, 13.41 for 1970-1979, 14.46 for 1980-1989, 15.15 for 1990-1999,
17.58 for 2000-2009, and 22.50 for 2010-2014, which supports the hypothesis.
Julia
Arwine
The Halo Effect Vs. Stereotypes
BEH
SOCI
The experiment was conducted to determine the influence of the Halo Effect versus that of stereotypes
in forming first impressions. The videotaped subject recorded two versions of the same video, the first
while dressing down and acting upbeat, and the second while dressing up and acting downbeat. Each
video was shown to a different group of teenagers, consisting of both males and females. The viewers
then rated, on a scale of one to five, the subject’s physical appearance, intelligence, friendliness,
approachability, and overall manner. The first version of the video, in which the subject was dressed
down but upbeat, received a higher average of ratings in all categories except physical appearance and
intelligence. This determines that the Halo Effect does have a greater effect than stereotypes, and
personality matters more than appearance in making first impressions. Also of note, the male viewers
consistently gave higher ratings than the females, suggesting that girls tend to be more critical.
Martha Dameron
A Survey on Gender Stereotypes in First and Eighth Graders
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BEH
SOCI
Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
The purpose of my project was to discover whether First or Eighth graders were most affected by
gender stereotypes. I decided to do a survey on gender stereotypes in young children because the
youngest generation, the generation who will soon run the world, lives in such a time of shifting the
stereotypes of men and women, sex and gender, homosexuals and transsexuals, etc., and I wish to see
what the youngest generation believes. I believe that eighth grade students will be the most likely to
follow their respective gender stereotypes, as they have been exposed to the most stereotypes and
have had them most often enforced.
In order to test my hypothesis, I created a nine-question survey, where each question had three
answers, one was a distinctly masculine answer, one a distinctly feminine answer, and one as close to
gender neutral as I could find. I then distributed the surveys to the 30 eighth graders and 16 first graders
who agreed to participate. I collect the data, analyzed and graphed it.
I found my hypothesis was not supported by my data. The first graders more often choose the
stereotypical answer for their gender. Never in the eighth grade data did either gender all choose the
same answer, while it happen numerous time in the data gathered about the first grade boys. I believe
the reason why my data did not support my hypothesis was that first graders are too young to form
their own opinions on such matters, so they merely project what they have been told.
Sagan Kahler
Do Opposites Attract? BEH
SOCI
Shortly after Carl Jung published his book Psychological Types in 1921, Katherine Briggs and her
daughter, Isabelle Myers found how closely their theories resembled his. Myers then developed a tool
used to determine one’s personality type, based on how they perceive the world around them. Using
their principles, an experiment was created to discern patterns between the personality types of couples
and best friends, in order to understand why people are attracted to each other and how people are
able to maintain their relationships. 14 couples and 10 pairs of best friends were used for a total of 48
individuals. Participants were asked to take a personality type with 60 questions and their results were
recorded. The following statement was hypothesized. If people are friends or in a relationship, they will
have contrasting personalities because people unknowingly search for traits in others they are ‘missing’,
resulting in finding an opposite. Results of the experiment showed combinations of two different letters
were the most popular with both friendships and relationships. However, most of the pairings in the
experiment weren’t complete opposites, nor the same personality type. A majority of couples and
friends were 2-3 letters away from each other, meaning people find good relationships in others that are
different from them, yet they can still relate to each other.
Zach Sanders
Farm Fresh vs Store Bought Eggs
BEH
SOCI
In a preference test, the taster is presented with two foods: sample A and sample B. The foods do not
need to look or taste similar. The taster simply decides which option he or she likes best. For this
experiment, sixty-eight seventh graders tasted two types of angel food cake samples, sample A angel
food cake was made using farm fresh eggs and sample B angel food cake was made using store bought
eggs. All students were given a preference taste test ballot to record their preference after tasting both
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
samples. The ballots were collected and data was calculated. Based on the taste test, the data was close
with thirty students out of sixty-eight preferred the angel food cake made with farm fresh eggs.
Rebecca Helt
Chocolate Taste Testing
BEH
SOCI
Dipping chocolate needs extra fat in order to flow and properly cover centers. Cocoa butter is the most
commonly used additive, however other fat containing products can be substituted. In this project
many Nilla wafers were covered with 60% Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate with either extra cocoa
butter or extra almond butter. The triangle taste test was administered to eighty participants to
determine if they could discriminate between the two tastes. Forty participants correctly discriminated
the outlier and forty participants did not. It was concluded that a 50% success rating holds no statistical
significance.
Amira Webb What Flavor is your color
BEH
soci
If you put food coloring in apple juice does it still taste like apple juice?
Lauren Lund
BEH
Do Your Own Physical Features Affect What Physical Features You find Attractive?
SOCI
Humans find other humans’ physical features attractive. Physical features include height, complexion,
hair, eyes, and more. Do our own physical features affect what physical features we find attractive? The
hypothesis is that over 50% of the physical features humans find attractive are the same physical
features they obtain, and the remaining percent are the result of the impact of culture, social status, and
individual subjective preference. To test the hypothesis, 50 males and 50 females will be asked what
their own physical features are and what physical features they find attractive. According to the results,
the hypothesis was not supported. 50% of the physical features humans found attractive were the same
as their own physical features. The other 50% of the physical features humans found attractive were
due to their culture, social status, and individual subjective preference.
Kaylee Thomas
Is Personality Affected By Birth Order
BEH
soci
My project’s purpose will be to determine if the number and age gaps (birth order) of siblings has an
affect on personality types. I have always been interested in psychology and personality types, so this
was a project of high interest to me. I hypothesized that birth order would indeed affect personality
traits, and that each group would show specific traits, such as oldest children being more nurturing,
middle children being more attention seeking, youngest children showing signs of being ‘babied’, and
only children being more mature. To determine this, participants will be asked to answer a
questionnaire based upon their personality. For example, ‘I am a realistic person’, then ranking their
answer from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The survey is based off the Myers-Briggs
personality test, but is shortened and altered. It uses the basic concept of the Myers-Briggs test, but is
not in any way directly affiliated with it.
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
Participants will range in age, as both adults and children will be used. No participant will be younger
than 10, or older than 75. They will remain anonymous, though data involving the number of siblings
they have, and the age gaps between them will be used. A total of 62 participants were used. The
participants were given a questionnaire asking about their siblings, then asked to complete the
personality test. After they finished, their results were found, and added into the data. Once all the data
was collected, percentages for each trait, as well as personality types was found, then analyzed to find
the most common type for each group.
Their are no risks or benefits to this test. The only drawback will be approximately ten minutes of time
to take the questionnaire. Also, participants may learn their personality type if they desire. They will be
fully informed of what the test includes and what the results will be used for before they start the test."
Ashleigh Sherman
Parental Influence on Young Adults: A Socio-Emotional Study BEH
SOCI
The purpose of my science fair project was to determine if parental influence during the teen years
affected the decisions and lifestyles of those individuals once they became adults. Based on my personal
knowledge, my hypothesis for the project was that the less a parent is involved in a teenager’s life, that
as adults, they would make less ‘risky’ decisions.
To complete this study, I chose to develop a survey, accessible over the internet, which could then be
shared through a number of different channels. I needed to obtain anonymous data and include a
consent form. The survey contained a total of 50 questions and addressed a number of topics, including
parental involvement during the teen years, alcohol and drug use, bullying, depression, suicide and
sexual behavior. I shared the survey through Facebook to ensure I reached my targeted group.
After I received 100 responses, I closed the survey and began analyzing the data. My hypothesis was
proven correct. The results actually showed that young adults, who indicated they had ‘Poor’ parental
involvement, led less ‘risky’ lifestyles. Young adults who indicated ‘Excellent’ parental involvement,
tended to make ‘riskier’ lifestyle choices.
If I were going to expand on this experiment in the future, I would like to survey high school students
and their parents. I think it would be interesting to see how teenagers behave versus how the parents
THINK they behave and who has the most direct influence on the choices they make. "
Makayla Creed The Effect of Identification Lineups on Correct Identifications BEH
SOCi
Police have used eyewitness identification as a way to put criminals in jail for hundreds of years. Four
different types of lineups are used. The sequential lineup consists of the suspects or their photos being
shown to the witness one at a time, while the simultaneous lineup presents the photos or suspects to
the witness altogether at the same time. There is also sequential double-blind, and a simultaneous
double-blind, which is the same procedure, but the person administrating the lineups has no idea who
the perpetrator is. To test which lineup produces the highest amount of correct identifications, a total
of eighty people were shown a video of someone breaking into a house. Each group of twenty was
shown one of the four different lineups, and then asked to select which suspect out of the six shown had
committed the crime. They were also given the option that the suspect was not present. It is
hypothesized that the double-blind simultaneous lineup would produce the highest amount of correct
identifications. The gathered data supports the hypothesis and proposes that the double-blind
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
simultaneous procedure is more reliable and produces the highest amount of correct identifications.
These results imply that the double-blind simultaneous procedure could be the best way to prevent
misidentifications and wrongful convictions. This could keep hundreds of innocent people from being
wrongly accused of a crime, and ultimately avoiding jail time.
Reed Cusack
Nutritional Perceptions
BEH
SOCI
In this study the focus of experimentation was around the perception of nutrition in foods. Participants
were asked to try whole grain popcorn and regular popcorn and rate both popcorns on a scale of 1 to 10
base on taste. The popcorns were both exactly the same. The only thing differentiating the two
popcorns was that the whole grain was in a darker brown paper bad while the regular popcorn was in a
white paper bag. The results of the surveys given showed that the majority of the participants rated that
regular popcorn was better than whole grain popcorn. Out of 50 participants the average rating for
whole grain popcorn was 5.78 and the average for regular was 6.82. Also, of the adjectives used when
describing the two popcorns, negative adjectives appeared more under the whole grain sections of the
surveys. The data collected from this experiment shows that nutrition can have a major effect on the
perceptions of foods. The two popcorns were exactly the same and yet there was a wide variance in
how participants perceived the popcorns likely due to the participants' notions about how foods with
nutritious elements taste.
Sara Aniol
Does a Person's Age Affect Stereotyping?
BEH
SOCI
The purpose of this experiment is to try to identify an age where one begins to stereotype others. The
hypothesis for this experiment is ‘If stereotyping increase with age, then participants that are older will
have a more stereotypical outlook on the photo than a younger participant’ A survey was given to
participants of various ages and who were then asked to circle 6 words that they think describe the
photograph given. The participants couldn’t talk to others so the choices were all up to them. The
younger age groups tended to chose more of the 6 negative words than the 6 positive words and the
older age groups chose more of the positive words than the negative words. The gap between negative
words and positive words kept getting smaller as the participants got older until positive words took
over. The hypothesis was rejected by the collected data. A different photograph, such as a racial
stereotype or a different social oddity group, could be used and participants could be asked to give the
thought that are going through their head.
Kelly Murphy
Perspective of Beauty
BEH
Sociology
Perspective of beauty is an experiment that shows the different perspectives of beauty from around the
world. Problem statement: How does perspective of beauty vary from country to country? Hypothesis:
People from different countries will perceive beauty differently, therefore the measurements of specific
facial features will vary from country to country. Materials: Original pictures, the edited pictures,
Photoshop Application, calculator, Microsoft Excel, Facebook, email, and a poster board. The scientists,
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Behavioral and Social Sciences Abstracts
upon receiving the edited photographs from various countries, measured different facial features in
order to determine the different perspectives of beauty. The measurements that were took consisted of
the left eye width, right eye width, lip width, nose width, nose length, distance between the top of the
eye and eyebrow arch, jawbone width, and distance between cheekbones. The various countries that
the scientists collected data from are Switzerland, Austria, Anguilla, Venezuela, England, Australia,
Germany, China, Wales, Norway, and the Bahamas. In the scientists’ experiment, it was found that most
countries preferred slim faces, while the rest of the measurements were not as unanimous. All of the
countries changed coloration components of the face, such as skin, eye, and hair color. The purpose of
this experiment is to show the different perspectives of ideal beauty in different countries.
Christine Wu
Factors that influence sleep quality in adolescents
BEH
Sociology
The objective of this study was to observe the relationship between specific factors (psychiatric
disorders, medicine usage, caffeine consumption, stress, and the lighting, volume, and temperature in
the sleep environment) and their effect on sleep quality (defined as sleep duration, sleep onset latency,
and sleep/rise patterns) in high school adolescents, ages 14-17. All data was collected via paper surveys
voluntarily completed by 30 high school students. According to the information provided by the
participants, the factor that appeared to have the greatest effect on sleep quality reported was the
presence of stress. Adolescents who experienced regular stress received on average 46 less minutes of
sleep, took four minutes longer to transition from wakefulness to sleep, and had a high prevalence of
irregular sleeping schedules compared to those who experienced less stress. However, most sleeping
environmental factors, such as volume and lighting, did not seem to have strong correlation with poor
quality sleep.
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