Search for Science Fair Projects

1000 Science Fair Projects with Complete Instructions

Human Behavior Science Fair Project

Cold, Stress, Practice, and Reaction Time

Medium
Cold, Stress, Practice, and Reaction Time | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
How does dunking your hand in ice water change the speed of your reflexes? Reaction time (how fast you respond to a signal) shifts depending on what your body and mind are going through. You test five participants on an online reaction time game under four conditions. First is a normal baseline. Next, each person dips a hand in ice water right before the test. Then an accomplice makes stressful comments during the test. Finally, participants take the test twice to measure the effect of practice. Compare the group averages across all four conditions to find which one slows or speeds reaction time the most.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that different factors can affect reaction time.

Method & Materials

You will take an online reaction time test, dip your hand in a bowl of ice water, and be exposed to a stressful situation.
You will need ice, water, a bowl, 5 male participants, a data sheet, an online reaction time test, and internet access.

Results

The results showed that different factors can affect reaction time. The reaction time was shortest when the participant was exposed to a stressful situation and longest when the participant dipped his hand in a bowl of ice water. Practice also had an effect on reaction time, as it was reduced with repeated practice.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it shows how different factors can affect reaction time, and how practice can help improve reaction time.

Also Consider

Variations to consider include testing reaction time with different age groups, or testing reaction time with different genders.

Full project details

Additional information and source material for this project are available below.

Related videos

These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
Share this Science Project:

Related Science Fair Project Ideas

Expert Opinions and Taste Choices
Run a taste test where some people hear an expert opinion first and discover whether it changes what they choose.
Medium
Color Popularity in Daily Life
Survey the colors of cars and clothes, then ask people their favorite color and see if the answers match.
Medium
Eye Contact in Familiar and Unfamiliar Settings
Observe people in two different settings and count how often they make or avoid eye contact with those around them.
Medium
Share this Science Project: