Experiment Proposal, Essay Example

Many studies often analyze the memory of individuals from different ages of their life span development.  A seldom analyzed aspect of the memory is the auditory memory that people maintain through hearing and storing the received information in the memory.  In addition, many studies have analyzed the positive effects associated with Vitamin C in the body, but very few studies, if any, have analyzed the effect that Vitamin C has on the body’s memory and recall processes.

To perform this study, groups of six individuals, three male and three female, will be tested from each available decade of living.  For instance, six children will be selected less than 10 years old, six teenagers, six individuals in their twenties, and so on until the end of the 90-years-old category.  In total, 60 individuals will have their auditory memory tested to analyze the immediate effects that Vitamin C has on the auditory memory throughout the various stages on the aging process.

This experiment will analyze physically healthy individuals of different stages in their lifespan and test their auditory memory.  The hypothesis of this research study is that as the aging process continues, the auditory memory consistently decreases over time; however, Vitamin C will have show a marked increase in test scores that will show an increase in auditory memory capability.

The subjects will be randomly assigned by being given either a one or two number at the initial admission into the experiment.  No person will have the ability to select who receives which number, it will be randomly based on who shows up first and alternate accordingly.  The number 1 subjects for each group are the experimental group and will be given a Vitamin C tablet to take 1 hour before testing.  The number 2 subjects are the control group and will be given a placebo pill to be taken 1 hour before testing.

Following the 1 hour time frame, the subjects will be asked to listen to the same brief passage in individual rooms and to take a test on the information shared to them throughout the passage.  The auditory memory will be tested through a short test of 20 questions based on the information within the passage that the subjects had just listened to.  The test will begin immediately after the passage has ended.  The subjects will receive no interruptions and will be asked to answer the questions on the test immediately following the passage.

The independent variable is the presence of Vitamin C within the human body at the time that the subjects engage in an activity to use their auditory memory.  More importantly, the effects of Vitamin C on the auditory memory as individuals increase in age is being monitored as the dependent variable.

Possible results will vary depending on the age of the individuals.  It is likely that the hypothesis will be supported and a clear trend will emerge showing that Vitamin C increases the auditory memory and the individual’s ability to recall that memory from the short-term memory of the brain, at least as compared to the placebo groups.  In addition to these results, the study will also likely show a life span development trend; whereby, individuals will show a decrease in recall efficiency and short-term auditory memory as a natural consequence of the aging process.