"Sheep Dash" Testing Method

I have come up with a method for my experiment.

Experimental Subjects:

-20 people in total.

(10 boys)

(10 girls)

Equipment:

-Computer

-Chair

-Online site

-http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/sheep/reaction_version5.swf 

("Sheep Dash" test)

Variables:

-Each person was seated

-They all used their pointer finger on their dominant hand

-They all did the test on the same site

-They all held their finger approximately 3cm above the mouse click button

Method:

1. Get the person to sit down at their computer

2. Make sure their finger is about 3cm above the mouse button

3. Get them to complete the test

4. Record number of seconds it took them to react to the sheep

5. Repeat this for each person 3 times, to get an average

6. Work out each persons average time

Sheep Dash Experiment

I am changing my experiment slightly, as I said before, so I am only using the sheep test.
I am still going to keep the main parts of my experiment the same, so I tested 10 boys, and 10 girls, but I am only going to use the results I got from the physical Sheep Dash test, and analyse them.

Changing Experimental Method.

I have encountered complications with my experiment, because I realised that I can't correctly test people based on mental reaction questions, because to do that, there are lots of other components and it is quite different than physical reaction time. This is because there are many factors that contribute to the answering of a question such as decisiveness, impulsivity and emotional responses.

I am now only going to be testing the physical reaction time, because it is a much more accurate and clear experiment as it is only testing the visual response to physical reaction throught muscular contraction of the finger.

To do this, I am going to use the "Sheep Dash" test. This is is an online reaction time test where when you see a sheep start to run across the screen, you tap your index finger on the mouse. This stops the sheep where you pressed it, and records the amount time taken from when you see the sheep move, to when you reacted and tapped your finger. In each game, there is a total of 5 sheep that run across the screen. Each game calculates the average reaction time over the 5 sheep. I have decided to get the subjects to play three games, and then I will take an average of those scores. Which in fact, is an average of 15 separate reaction times.

This experiment is more refined and has less margin of error than the ruler test, because there are many more muscles involved in catching the ruler, and more variables in measururing and recording.

Experimenting

Over the past week, I have been experimenting on different people of different genders. I asked them all a series of questions each, and went through with the ruler test, then timed the seconds it took for each reaction. I also carried out another physical reation test, called "Sheep Dash". This is to also test reflexes and reaction time.

I have come to a decision that I'm going to test 10 people from each gender, so I can get at least a mildly accurate result.    

Research

I just did some more research, and I found that since we have all evolved from our ancestors, we still have some of their traits. For example, it states that men may have a quicker reaction time to some things, because of their hunting and gathering instincts from thousands of years ago, that became an evolutionary trait.

- www.answers.com

I also researched information about how humans receptors work, and how they register our senses like touch, sight, smell, taste and hearing. These characteristics can vary for each person. Typically, women are known to be smarter than men mentally, but men seem to be more physically strong and react to things faster physically. In a woman, the neurons move faster through their bodies than mens, but men are more capable of moving faster physically.

This information helps support my hypothesis, because it explains that men seem to be quicker than women physically.

Experiment Method

Method:

1. Ask test subject the following questions, and perform the tests:

- What's your our favourite song?

- What's your favourite colour?

- If you could have one super human power, what would it be?

- You are the driver of a train, and the brakes aren't working. If you go straight, you will hit a dead end, and the train will crash. If you take the turn, there is a man lying stuck in the tracks.

Would you:

-Go straight

-Take the turn

- You were on a raft on a rough river, and your best friend fell off it, and into the water. 

Would you:

-Turn the boat around to save them, but risk the lives of you and all the other passangers

-Keep going to keep yourself, and the other passengers safe


The "Sheep Dash" test.

1. Get the person to sit down at their computer

2. Make sure their finger is about 3cm above the mouse button

3. Get them to complete the test

4. Record number of seconds it took them to react to the sheep

5. Work out each persons average time

- The Ruler Test.

-Hold the ruler about 3cm away from the persons hand.

-Place the ruler so that 0cm, is facing down, closest to their hand.

-Tell them to catch the ruler when they see it drop, with their pointer finger and thumb.

-Drop the ruler (without giving the person any warning)

-Record where on the ruler they caught it. (cm)

2. Time the amount time it takes them to respond from when you have asked them the questions.

3. Record each persons results into a table.