Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

[b]I'm doing my project on how a cell phone conversation affects reaction time and level of concentration. could you tell me if the following things would be correct in their formatting...and kind of in the writing of them (especially variables & hypothesis!) And do I need the whole section "Problem" at all??

Question
How does a cell phone conversation affect reaction time and level of concentration?

Problem
Talking on a cell-phone while driving is a great way to multi-task, but there is a down side. It is estimated that cell phone usage while driving can actually quadruple a driver’s risk of collision. One study shows that a driver on a cell phone has a 6-in-1 million chance of dying in an accident each year. How does a cell phone conversation affect reaction time and level of concentration?

Variables
Independent Variable- Whether or not a cell phone conversation is taking place
Dependant Variables- Reaction time and score on concentration test
Controlled Variables- Tests that subjects were given, the method of recording results

Hypothesis
A cell phone conversation will negatively affect reaction time and level of concentration. If someone is holding a cell phone conversation, their reaction time will increase and their level of concentration will decrease.

Also wondering...do I need a background research section? Because I didn't do one!

Sounds to me as if you have already done some background research. After all, you quote results of a study. Background research is simply looking up what other people have written about a subject and presenting their results.

Your research topic will then build upon their results. For examnple, if it is shown that cell phone use affects driving safety, you might want to extend that to: Does cell phone use affect one's score in a Math test. Perhaps a person could take half of a test without interruptions and the other half with cell phone interruptions. The more people you got to take the test, the better your statistics would be.

You might check your directions again--if your teacher has asked for a "Problem" section, you will want to have one. If s/he doesn't specify, you can leave the sections as they are (I think they look fine). Another possibility is to combine the "Question" and "Problem" sections under a single heading.

For variables-- you might be able to add "subjects" under Controlled Variables. I don't know exactly your experimental setup, but I imagine that you recorded the scores for each subject both with and without a cell phone conversation?

Hypothesis looks very good--Excellent job!

You will want a Background Research section. This should not be too difficult to write up, since you are just presenting the research others have done on the topic. If your concentration test was taken/ adapted from another source, you might also discuss where you got it and why you chose that test as opposed to another one. Make sure to cite your sources!

Hope this helps, and post if you have more questions,
Sonia

cool subject! i've noticed i'm a little sluggish when i'm cold, which may be a factor. also who they are talking to obviously important