Year 9 GCSE Psychology students have been putting their scientific skills to the test as they carried out their very first practical investigation, exploring the effect of different drinks on reaction times.
Working in groups of three, students investigated whether caffeinated cola, decaffeinated cola or water had an impact on how quickly they could react. Each student was assigned a different drink and began by completing a reaction time test using a metre ruler.
Taking it in turns, one student dropped the ruler from thumb height while another attempted to catch it as quickly as possible. The third student carefully recorded the results in their investigation booklet. This process was repeated ten times to establish their initial reaction times.
Students then drank their allocated drink, waited five minutes and repeated the experiment another ten times to see whether their reaction times had changed.
Throughout the investigation, students developed their practical research skills, working collaboratively, communicating effectively and using calculators to calculate the mean, median and range of their results.
Psychology teacher Miss Halsall said:
“Throughout the lesson, students demonstrated fantastic enthusiasm and engagement, approaching the investigation with curiosity and thinking like real psychologists. I am incredibly proud of how engaged the students were and the thoughtful approach they took throughout their first practical investigation.”
In their next lesson, students will analyse their findings, draw conclusions and evaluate their research, giving them the opportunity to further develop their understanding of the scientific process in Psychology.
A fantastic first practical for our Year 9 psychologists, who have taken their first steps into the world of psychological research!
Dakota – Rocco
