Write a 200-300 word summary describing a time when you had to test a theory. This theory may be something you have tested at work, school, or at home.

Describe the situation.
What type of informal research method did you use?
How was your research method similar to research methods used by psychologists?
If given another opportunity, what would you have done differently?
Describe one ethical issue mentioned in the text that you have encountered. Why is informed consent necessary for ethical research?

When I was in high school 60+ years ago, I observed that top students weren't as popular as those with lower grades. I tested the theory by not studying very much and earning less than top grades. I still wasn't very popular.

That was my testing of a theory.

What is YOUR experience?

One time, while working on a school project, I had to test a theory related to the effects of music on productivity. The situation was that my classmates and I wanted to determine if listening to instrumental music while studying would improve our concentration and overall performance. We wanted to find out if we could enhance our productivity by incorporating background music into our study routine.

To test this theory, we decided to use an informal research method called observation. We observed our own study habits and performance under different conditions. We created a controlled experiment where we studied for the same amount of time, but with and without instrumental music playing in the background. We took note of our focus, retention, and overall productivity during each study session, and then compared the results.

Our research method was similar to methods used by psychologists because we utilized observation to gather data and analyze the effects of a specific variable (music) on our behavior and outcomes (productivity). By systematically recording our study sessions and comparing them, we were able to draw conclusions about the impact of instrumental music on our performance.

If given another opportunity, I would have included a larger sample size and varied the types of music being played to account for individual preferences and potential confounding variables. This would have made our observations more reliable and generalizable.

An ethical issue that we encountered during this research was the need for informed consent. We needed to inform our classmates and get their consent before including them in the study. Informed consent is necessary for ethical research because it ensures that the participants are aware of the purpose, procedures, and risks involved in the study. It also allows them to make an informed decision about whether they want to participate or not. Without informed consent, the participants' autonomy and right to be fully informed and protected could be compromised.