Question

Some potential variables that can be manipulated:

Sitting vs Standing vs Lying down

Reading something on a smartphone screen

Alteration of hand muscle tone (opening/closing fingers multiple times prior to reaction test)

Physical exertion versus sedentary

Caffeine consumption

Dominant hand vs Nondominant hand

Non-dizzy vs Dizzy

1. Choose one of the above variables to test in relation to reaction time. What do you know about that variable, in relation to reaction time, that forms your background observations/research/experiences?

2. What is your research question?

3. What is your falsifiable hypothesis? Remember that a hypothesis is a concrete statement that offers a testable explanation or answer to the research question.

4. Describe your experimental methods:

   1. What is your Independent Variable?

   2. What is your Dependent Variable?

   3. What is your Experimental Group?

   4. What is your Control Group?

   5. What are the variables that you will try to control (Controlled Variables)?

   6. What are some Confounding Variables?

Answer 1

Let we consider caffeine consumption as test variable to test reaction time. We know that caffiene stimulates the central nervous system. It blocks the action of adenosine in brain, which makes us feel tired and we feel more alert.

Research question: Whether caffiene consumption truely increases alertness or not?

Falsifiable hypothesis: Caffiene consumption increases alertness and hence, decreases reaction time.

Experimental method: Experiment will be done on 100 people of same age and same health score. A caffiene drink of 300 ml will be given to half of them 10 minutes before the experiment. Then, each person will be asked to sit on a virtual driving vehicle. In this, reaction time of applying breaks will be counted for 5 sudden obstacles.

Independent variable: caffiene consumption

Dependent variable: Reaction time

Experimental group : Group of 50 people who have taken caffiene drink before experiment.

Control group: Group of remaining 50 people who have not taken caffiene drink before experiment.

Controlled variable: Caffiene consumtion

Confoundong variable: Driving skills of person, Mental situation of person before experiment.