Single Factor Experimental Design Study: Sleep Deprivation and Test Performance
The scientific method provides a standard procedure that enables researchers to conduct scientific research, and facilitates future replication of the experiment for reliability and validity. These steps of the scientific method are as follows: posing a research question, doing background research, constructing a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis by conducting an experiment, analyzing the data and drawing a conclusion, and communicating the results of the study findings (Passer, 2014). The research topic examined in this study is the effects that sleep deprivation has on attention and memory retention, specifically measured by academic test performance. Sleep deprivation …show more content…
The research question to be answered is: “What is the effect of sleep deprivation on academic test performance?” The hypothesis is “Sleep deprivation will produce poorer performance on test scores.” Because prior studies have shown that sleep cycles help consolidate memories; and in the absence of adequate sleep, short-term memory is hampered (Orzeł-Gryglewska, 2010), the study was believed to have criterion validity, as it could be a measure used to predict outcomes, in this case, poorer …show more content…
The act of sleep was the independent variable (the presumed causal factor) and was the variable that was manipulated. Exam scores were the dependent variable (the presumed effect) and the outcome was measured to determine what effect has been produced (Passer, 2014). All participants arrived at the research facility after having been awake for a minimum of eight hours (for ages above thirteen) prior, and agreed to be locked into the facility for the evening. Children under the age of thirteen were allowed to be accompanied by an adult or guardian, who were instructed not to interfere with the experiment in any way. Participants who were known to be in Group B were instructed to bring things that they might want recreationally for an overnight stay at the facility. Upon arrival, participants attend a classroom session, watched a video, and reading material covering the uncommon topic of Egyptian history, and released to get food then return to the facility to their areas to do what they wish for the rest of the evening. Group A was taken to individual hotel style rooms with private beds and were allowed to sleep, although there was a mandatory “lights-out” nine hours prior to morning testing. Group B was taken to a common area with tables and televisions, desks, and a