What Influences Our Observations?

IDC4U3

Panayiotou

WHAT INFLUENCES OUR OBSERVATIONS?

Student-Designed Activity

Directions: Design an activity that would demonstrate how different factors influence our ability to observe. You should include the following:

1. Research question

2. Hypothesis

3. Experimental design

a. Control

b. Variable

4. Observations

a. What you will measure

b. Data tables

5. Conclusion based on your data

Suggested Factors to Test

1. Will the number of people in the room affect someone’s observational skills?

2. Will someone’s observational skills be affected if he or she is listening to music while making the observation?

3. Are men less observant of the surrounding environment if there is an attractive woman and vice versa?

4. Are people’s observations biased with race/age/gender?

5. Does racial background affect someone’s ability to recognize someone of a different race?

6. Does the color of someone’s clothing make the person more noticeable?

7. Are bald men more difficult to recognize than men who have hair?

8. If the person wears a hat, does that make him or her more difficult to recognize or more likely to be recognized?

9. Does a person’s style of clothing make him or her more noticeable or less? (For example, are there differences with responses to a man in a suit as opposed to a man in jeans?)

10. Does the presence of a beard make someone less noticeable or more noticeable?

11. Is an overweight person less likely to be observed than someone of normal weight?

Lab Report Must Include: (all parts must be in past passive tense)

· Title of lab and your name

· Purpose (1)

Brief statement of the specific intent of the investigation.

· Hypothesis (2)

Show a cause and effect relationship. Show reasoning behind your hypothesis.

· Procedure: (4)

In paragraph form describe the experimental design in detail. Account for controlled, independent, and dependent variables.

· Observations: (4)

Qualitative data and quantitative data (all graphs must be on graph paper or computer generated.

· Analysis: (8)

Analyze the results and provide reasoning for your results. Refer back to your hypothesis and examine if the investigation confirmed or rejected the hypothesis. Connect principles of the investigation to concepts taught in class, readings, or any other information from your own background knowledge or experiences (I.C.E. it!!). Analyze your experimental design and provide suggestions for improvements. What would be the next step in the investigation (a follow up experiment other than just improvements to the experimental design)? What is the significance of the investigation to society and in the field of forensics?

· Conclusions: (1)

Summary statement of results of the experiment.

Total Value: 20 Marks