This year for my science fair project I will be testing to see if music affects a person's blood pressure. I will have a participant get relaxed (for 5 minutes). After he/she is relaxed, I will take his/her blood pressure with a digital sphygmomanometer (instrument used to take your blood pressure). I will record the reading. I will then have the participant listen to the first music selection. After the song is over, I will retake their blood pressure. I will record this information. I will repeat this process with all the 7 music styles I have. They will be listening to the music with an IPod.

I know exactly what I am going to do for my experiment, but I'm not sure how to word the problem/question of my experiment. Should I say 'How Does Music Affect a Person's Blood Pressure' or 'Do Different Types of Music Affect a Person's Blood Pressure in Different Ways?' I'm not so sure. If I include the word(s) 'How' and 'Affect' in my problem/question of my experiment does 'How' (in the title 'How Does Music Affect A Person's Blood Pressure') mean does music affect blood pressure or not, Or In what ways does music affect blood pressure? Thank you!

Hello. I would like to offer my advice. When playing the music, be sure to have the volume at an appropriate level. If the music is intended to relax the person but the volume is set too high, the person's blood pressure may rise due to being startled. Also, are you going to let the person know ahead of time what type of music he/she will be listening to before you play it?

Both options for wording the problem/question of your experiment are suitable, but they slightly differ in the focus of the investigation. Let's break it down:

1. "How Does Music Affect a Person's Blood Pressure?"
This question implies an investigation into whether music has any effect on a person's blood pressure. By asking "how," you're suggesting that music does have an impact on blood pressure, and your experiment aims to explore the specific ways in which it does.

2. "Do Different Types of Music Affect a Person's Blood Pressure in Different Ways?"
This question suggests an examination of how different types of music may produce varying effects on a person's blood pressure. It acknowledges the potential influence of music on blood pressure and aims to compare the effects of different music styles.

To summarize, both questions are valid, but they emphasize slightly different aspects of your experiment. If you want to focus on the general impact of music on blood pressure, choose the first question. If you want to investigate the specific effects of different music styles, choose the second question. Consider your research objectives and choose the question that aligns best with your goals.