Does being told to pay attention actually improve recall of a TV show? You divide participants into two groups. One group is told to remember as many details as possible while watching. The other group is told to just watch. Afterward, both groups answer questions about what they saw. You compare the scores to find out whether intentional focus improves recall.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that a person who is told to remember as much as they can while watching television will remember more than one who is not.
Does telling someone to pay attention actually change how much they remember? You divide participants into two groups. One group is told to remember as many details as possible while watching a TV show. The other group is simply told to watch. Afterward, both groups answer questions about what they saw. Comparing the scores shows whether intentional focus improves how much your brain holds onto in the short time after viewing.
A simple instruction can switch focused attention on or off. You divide participants into two groups and have both watch the same TV show. One group is told to remember as many details as possible while watching. The other group is told to just watch. Afterward, both groups answer questions about what they saw. Comparing the scores shows whether intentional focus actually improves recall.
Method & Materials
You will watch a show and then answer questions about it. You will also compare how well you remember when you're told to pay attention versus when you're not.
You will need a TV, a show to watch, and questions to answer.
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This experiment showed that a person who is told to remember as much as they can while watching television remembers more than one who is not. This observation stands out because it shows how important it is to pay attention when watching TV.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting and unique because it shows how the human brain works and how important it is to pay attention when watching TV.
Also Consider
Experiment variations to consider include watching a different type of show or having a different number of questions to answer.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.
