research reflection

Research Study Design

This is a study to find out how students who are taking exams are influenced by certain disruptions. In this case, I am interest in learning whether students would try to finish their exams faster than they normally would, when they see other students already finished and leaving.

This is a controlled experiment. There will be two separate groups of students to participate. In the experimental group, some students will be told to leave early.  However, there won’t be any disruptions in the control group.

Questions to ask

Would unsuspecting students in the experimental group try to rush and finish their job faster than they would have? Would students in the control group take longer to finish their exams than experimental group?

Hypothesis

Students in the experimental group are more likely to finish their exams faster than those in the control group. They would feel competitive and try to show that they are no less smart than the others, even though such action might serve in their disadvantage by lowering their exam points.

Independent Variable: Students who were set up to leave the exam early

Dependent Variable: Amount of time spent by students completing their exams

Professors and students would benefit from the results of this study. It would be beneficial for both groups to know that exam grades are not always reflective of true knowledge students possess. It is a further proof that there are number of factors that influence students to grade poorly despite successful preparation.