Project Topic Ideas PSY Fall 2004

Remembering Locations 1) Is location memory more accurate for important items than for less important items? How do landmarks affect location memory? 2 conditions (between-subjects): important items, near landmark DV: accuracy?

2) Does the presence of landmarks increase the accuracy with which people remember the locations of objects? 2 conditions (between-subjects): landmark, no landmark DV: accuracy of location placements following learning

Gender Differences in Direction Giving and Following 3) Are there gender differences in direction-giving using a map? 2 groups (quasi-experiment): men, women DVs: number and type of information pieces in directions to destination; time to produce directions

4) Are there gender differences in direction-giving for navigation using campus locations? 2 groups (quasi-experiment): men, women DV: type of information in directions to destination (e.g., landmarks, cardinal descriptors)

5) Are there gender differences in the ability to find locations based on verbal descriptions including landmarks? 2 groups (quasi-experiment): men, women 2 conditions (between-subjects): landmarks given, landmarks not given DV: time to find destination based on directions given

6) Are there gender differences in the accuracy with which people judge distances between objects in photographs? Does accuracy depend on the actual distance between objects? 2 groups (quasi-experiment): males, females 6 conditions (within-subjects): various distances between objects in the photographs DV: accuracy in judging distance (select from 5 alternatives)

7) Are there gender and developmental differences in young children’s descriptions and placements of locations? 2 groups (quasi-experiment): 3yrs, 4yrs 2 groups (quasi-experiment): males, females DVs: prepositions used to describe locations relative to landmarks; number of repetitions needed prior to correct placement of locations

Using Landmarks: During Navigation and Communication 8) Are there differences in the efficiency with which people use directions including landmarks or cardinal descriptors to navigate on campus? 2 conditions (within-subjects): directions including landmarks, directions including cardinal descriptors DVs: navigation time; number/type of errors during navigation

9) How does the presence of multiple landmarks influence the development of judgments of nearbyness? 3 groups (quasi-experiment): 3yrs, 4yrs, college students Conditions?? DV: proportion of “by” judgments (might also include other spatial prepositions)

Locomotion Affects Spatial Cognition 10) Does distance estimation differ as a function of the method of locomotion? 2 conditions (within-subjects): walk between locations, drive between locations DV: distance estimation between locations

11) Does movement influence the accuracy with which people give directions for navigation? 2 conditions (between-subjects): movement allowed, no movement allowed DV: time to navigate (give directions?)

Other Topics 12) Do the spacing and context of studying affect test performance? What is the relation between studying strategies and test strategies and anxiety? 2 conditions (between-subjects): block- study, study-break 2 conditions (between-subjects): study alone, study with a group DVs: test performance (also study and test strategies and test anxiety)

13) How do social skills differ for children who are home-schooled and those who attend public schools? 2 groups (quasi-experiment): home- schooled, public-schooled DVs: personality, public speaking comfort, social skills

14) How does distraction during video game playing influence flight simulator performance? 2 conditions (between-subjects): distraction during video game playing, no distraction during video game playing DV: flight simulator performance (pre- /post-design)

15) How does style of dress affect people’s perceptions of others? 2 conditions (between-subjects): professional dress, hip-hop dress DV: judgments concerning other