PSY 111: Introduction to Psychology Learning Unit 2: Instructions
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Create Your Own Study
For this activity, you are to create your own study by following these steps. This is a fictitious study.
1. Write a research question about your topic.
2. Locate and read 3 sources, including information in your text on your topic. In 2-3 paragraphs,
what did you learn about your topic? Make sure to cite your sources on a reference page which
is the last page of this assignment.
3. Write your hypotheses.
4. What do you think you will find out, and why do you think this?
5. Create a survey, naturalistic observation, or experiment that will test your hypothesis. Write the
method section of your research study (include if study requires: independent variable,
dependent variable, control group, experimental group, who and how will you select your
participants?). Make sure your methods are ethical.
6. Conduct your research by collecting your data to prove or disprove the hypothesis.
7. Conduct a simple data analysis. Make a table or graph of your findings.
8. Write out the results or findings.
9. What could you do differently, if you were to conduct this study a second time?
10. What did you learn by creating this study?
When finished conducting your study, respond to each question. Create a document with the question
and your response. Make sure all documentation is in order when submitting, add all documentation,
example: your survey, your table or graph, etc. Include a reference page.
Submit to the location in the course.
Model:
1) How does vision affect one’s balance?
2) Article 1-Vision plays an important role on a human being’s balance. Eyes are a major key in
functioning balance within the human body. The eyes of a human being make the environment
look stable and they focus on object while the body is moving. People with worse vision who do
not wear glasses have a worse sense of balance than those who do wear glasses. Article 2-The
eyes are part of the vestibular system, which is one of the main systems that effect and maintain
balance. Poor vision makes for a weaker vestibular system, which in turn decreases balance.
Good vision allows for you to understand where your body is relative to the environment
surrounding you. With poor vision the brain is not as effective in understanding the information
it receives through the eyes, so it is harder to maintain balance.
3) Vision will have a positive correlation with balance.
PSY 111: Introduction to Psychology Learning Unit 2: Instructions
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4) I think I will find out that in general people with poor vision will find it harder to balance. I
believe my results will turn out that way because of the articles I have read about the topic.
5) The hypothesis will be tested through an experiment. The experiment will test 100 people. The
people will be selected randomly. Each person will go through two trials. The first trial will be to
stand on one leg, reach down and touch the ground with their eyes open. The second trial will
be to stand on one leg, reach down and touch the ground with their eyes closed. The results of
the experiment will be based on self-reported information from the participants. The
independent variable is vision. The dependent variable is balance.
6) 83 out of the 100 participants reported that it was harder to bend down on one leg while blind
folded.
7) The graph shows that the majority of the participants reported that they had worse balance
with a blindfold on.
8) The results are 82 participants felt it was harder to balance while bending down on one leg to
touch the ground. 18 participants felt as if they weren’t affected. The results of the experiment
would support the hypothesis which states balance is affected by vision.
9) If I were to redo the study, I would use a different way to test balance. I would have someone
walk in a straight line being blind folded, and not being blind folded. Having them walk in a
straight line I would be able to measure the difference between being blind folded and not
being blind folded.
Balance
Worse Balance Not affected
PSY 111: Introduction to Psychology Learning Unit 2: Instructions
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10) By creating this study, I learned how to better use the scientific method, how vision affects
balance, and how to create an accurate study using a variety of participants.
References
Gan, C. (2013, June 11). Poor vision may lead to loss of balance. Retrieved September 16, 2017,
from http://www.futurity.org/poor-vision-may-lead-to-loss-of-balance/
Gan, C. (n.d.). Researchers find diminished balance in those with poor vision. Retrieved September 16,
2017, from https://www.aap.org/en-us/Pages/Default.aspx
Hoffman, S. L. (n.d.). How does the balance system work? . Retrieved September 16, 2017, from
http://www.neuropt.org/docs/vsig-english-pt-fact-sheets/how-does-the-balance-system-
work.pdf?sfvrsn=2
© Debra Vos and Indian Hills Community College
