Using the Hypothesis Worksheet Research Paper Outline Provided:

1) In EXCEL: Make a Figure (bar graph) of your means 2) In SPSS: Run analysis to compare groups (using a t-test) with means and standard deviations in output in SPSS 3) Include and upload of your SPSS output. 4) Write results section in AP(A) format. Make sure you include: a. PARAGRAPH i. The type of analysis you ran (t-test, ANOVA, chi-square ...) ii. Your alpha level iii. A description of the outcome in "plain English" iv. The means and standard deviation v. Your significance test in the correct format b. A bar graph of results in AP(A)format -t he Excel figure copied and pasted into Word with Figure caption below and labeled axes. Turn in all of the above making sure your name is on each sheet. Including SPSS upload.

Ensure: This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Analysis is Accurate. The numbers in paragraph are all reported and accurate to SPSS output. This includes Ns, Means, SDs, alpha, t, df, p, and whether it was significant or not.

SPSS is Accurate. SPSS output is accurate. The appropriate test is used (independent-samples t-test). Includes both the statistics and t-test output.

Graph/Table in AP(A) format Proper graph format is used (for t-tests, that's a bar graph with two bars). All other info and AP(A) styling are included. This includes axis labels with both group names (x-axis) and scores (y-axis), figure label (Figure 1), and figure title (outside of the graph).

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Results example

An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare response accuracy for the working memory test after listening to 20 minutes of fast paced music versus the control group. An alpha level of .05 was applied to the analysis. There was not a significant difference between the response accuracy for the music group (M= 15.43,SD= 1.90) versus the no-music control group (M= 14.29,SD= 2.29);t(7) = 1.922,p= .103.

Figure 1.Mean accuracy for working memory test before and after listening to 20 minutes of fast paced music

Hypothesis Worksheet Research Paper Outline

Introduction:

• What is your research question?

Does drinking coffee affect cognitive processing speed as measured by performance on the Stroop test?

• Why is it important to research this question? Are there any facts that support the importance of this question? For example, "X million people text and drive according to Y"? How will knowledge in this area solve a problem or add to scientific knowledge?

Caffeine is widely consumed, with billions of people drinking coffee daily. Understanding its impact on cognitive functions can have implications for productivity and safety. For instance, research suggests that millions of individuals rely on caffeine to enhance their alertness and cognitive performance.

The findings can contribute to scientific knowledge about the cognitive effects of caffeine and inform public health guidelines on coffee consumption.

• What are the main findings you have discovered in the literature regarding this question (from your literature search)?

• Harvanko et al. (2015) found that regular caffeine use does not significantly affect decision-making and response inhibition skills.
• Karayigit et al. (2020) reported no difference in cognitive processing speed between different doses of caffeine in athletes, suggesting a tolerance effect with regular use.
• Van Duinen, Lorist, & Zijdewind (2005) showed that caffeine intake could improve reaction time in cognitive tasks, though fatigue can diminish these effects.
• Yuan et al. (2020) found that coffee intake improved performance on the Stroop task, with gender differences noted in performance.
• Zhang et al. (2020) found a negative association between caffeine intake and cognitive functioning in children, indicating potential detrimental effects with higher consumption.

• Write out your hypothesis or prediction.

It is hypothesized that participants who drink coffee (Level 1) will complete the Stroop test faster than those who do not drink coffee (Level 2), indicating that caffeine enhances cognitive processing speed.

• What is your independent and what is your dependent variable?

Independent Variable (IV): Caffeine Consumption

• Level 1: Drinking coffee with caffeine
• Level 2: Not drinking coffee (no caffeine)

Dependent Variable (DV): Performance on the Stroop test, measured as the time in seconds to complete the test

Methods:

• What are the three main headings in your methods section?

• Participants
• Measures
• Procedure

• For Participants Section: Describe your (imaginary, I know) sample: i.e.: how many participants will be in your study? Are they all male or female or both? How will they be recruited? Is your sample random, convenience, cluster, stratified, etc. Note: if not a convenience sample you need to be VERY specific about how the sample is drawn!

• Number of participants: 60 (30 in each group)
• Gender: Both male and female
• Recruitment: Convenience sample, recruited from a local university via online advertisements and flyers on campus

• For Measures Section: What constructs are you investigating (such as depression, success, etc.)? What are your operational definitions of these constructs?

Constructs: Cognitive processing speed

Operational definition: Time in seconds to complete the Stroop test

• For Measures Section: If you are using a measurement variable for a construct, such as an IQ test or a personality inventory - what is the reliability/validity of your scale? (If you are not using a scale, describe why your dependent variable is a reliable measure of your construct). This must be a number from 0-1 ad you must CITE the source of this number and the scale itself.

The Stroop test has high reliability and validity, with test-retest reliability scores reported around 0.80 (MacLeod, 1991). The Stroop task measures interference control, a component of executive function, reliably.

• For Measures Section: What is the range of scores for your dependent variable (ex: 1-100 on a test? 0-4.0 for GPA? 1 -21 on a depression inventory?)

The time to complete the Stroop test typically ranges from 20 to 60 seconds, depending on individual performance.

• For Measures Section: What do higher scores indicate? For example, Higher test or GPA scores indicate more knowledge/academic. Higher scores on a depression inventory may mean more depression. It is important to be clear about what the scores mean.

Higher scores (longer times) indicate slower cognitive processing speed and less effective interference control.

• For Measures Section: If using a scale, give an example of a test question and possible responses.

Participants are shown the name of a color printed in a different color (e.g., the word "RED" printed in blue ink) and must name the ink color as quickly as possible. Responses are recorded as the time taken to correctly name the ink color.

• For Procedure Section: What exactly does a participant experience when coming to your experiment step-by-step?

1. Participants arrive at the lab and are given an informed consent form to read and sign.
2. Participants are randomly assigned to either the caffeine or no caffeine group.
3. Those in the caffeine group drink a standard cup of coffee containing 100 mg of caffeine. The no caffeine group drinks a caffeine-free placebo beverage.
4. After a 30-minute absorption period, participants complete the Stroop test on a computer.
5. The time taken to complete the test is recorded.
6. Participants are debriefed and thanked for their participation.

Analysis:

• What statistical test are you using andwhy?

Independent samples t-test because it compares the means of two independent groups (caffeine vs. no caffeine).

• What is your alpha level?

0.05

Discussion:

• If your hypothesis is supported - what does that mean for science and/or humanity? Would that be consistent or inconsistent with previous findings?

If the hypothesis is supported, it suggests that caffeine can enhance cognitive processing speed, which could have practical implications for tasks requiring quick decision-making and attention. This would be consistent with previous findings (Yuan et al., 2020).

• If your hypothesis is NOT supported - what does that mean for science and/or humanity? Would that be consistent or inconsistent with previous findings? Why might your findings be different than expected?

If the hypothesis is not supported, it may indicate that caffeine does not significantly affect cognitive processing speed, or that the effect is influenced by other variables such as tolerance or individual differences. This would align with findings from Karayigit et al. (2020) and Harvanko et al. (2015).

• How could this study be done better in the future?

Future studies could use a larger and more diverse sample, control for caffeine tolerance, and include additional cognitive tests to generalize findings across different cognitive domains.

• What DO researchers need to do to improve our knowledge/efficacy in this general area?

Researchers should explore the long-term effects of caffeine on cognitive function, the impact of varying doses, and potential individual differences in response to caffeine.

• Why was this study important? Conclude with a paragraph about the importance of this research.

This study is important because it provides insights into how a widely consumed substance like caffeine affects cognitive performance. Understanding these effects can inform guidelines for safe and effective caffeine consumption and contribute to optimizing cognitive functioning in daily activities.