...Testing A Theory PSY/201 May 12, 2013 A couple of years ago, I decided to test a theory on myself by trying to lose fight while gaining more muscle mass. I have heard so many different theories on how to lose fat while gaining muscle mass, but I could not find a good routine that gave me the best results. Before I began my research, I had to think critical about what was causing me to gain fat, and why my workout routine was not as effective on myself as it was for others. I began to search for credible sources on the Internet, so that I can have a better understanding of the relationship between nutrition and the human body. Once my understanding on nutrition was clear, I then began to do research on fat burning and strength conditioning. After my research was complete, I began to test these theories on myself. I created a chart that kept track of each exercise, the amount of repetitions completed, weight loss or gain, and body fat percentage. I used this chart to compare my before and after results within 90 days, and the end results were stunning. I could lower my body fat percentage, and gain more muscle mass, which was exactly what I wanted. The type of informal research that was used to test this theory was experimental research. According to the textbook, Psychology and Your Life, it tells us about experimental research, which states, “Investigator produces a change in one variable to observe the effects of that change on other variables” (Ch. 1, pg. 33)...
Words: 464 - Pages: 2
...At least once a week while at work, I have to test a theory concerning the microorganisms I work with. Within the regulations I have to follow, certain criteria must be met for my tests. Because microorganisms are very tricky to predict, deciding how much of a sample I will use and how much seed for food they will need happens quite often. Whenever I run across moments when I have been wrong, further testing is needed to predict why. During this process I have to develop a theory of what will happen when I change little pieces to the testing or samples. Researching seed volumes to use can be a daunting task because each seed capsule is actually a man made seed, causing me to have to take into account human error. Setting up different volumes of seed based upon my prior results is usually the method I have to use in order to find the correct food to mass ratio to meet my testing requirements. While I am trying to establish my theory of what will happen, I am actually using two different types of research methods. First I am using archival research by going back and looking at the previous data. Since I am trying to change the results that I had previously received, I will include experimental research as well. Changing small elements to each sample in order to obtain a different result, while still using my previous data have been the standard for confirming my theories. A psychologist will use both of these methods depending on what kind of research they are doing. If they...
Words: 306 - Pages: 2
...of any theories that I may have tested off of the top of my head. After spending some time thinking about it, I decided to go with something that I did 2 years ago. The theory was to find a different way outside of a direct transfer to go from working at one store location to another. If you don’t mind I would like to give you a background story on this, in 2010 I was an employee at Target, yet it was at a store located in White Plains, NY where I worked for 2, and a half years. It was also around this time period when I was informed that the Target store that is located in Mount Kisco, NY was an better overall paying store to work at, so like most people who want to make as much money as possible I decided that I needed to work there rather than where I was at that time. The only way that I knew how to get there was via a transfer. In late June I had a meeting with the human resources supervisor Kristen about my ability to transfer to the store in Mount Kisco so I could be somewhere where they paid better. Kristen however informed me that my reason for wanting this transfer was not considered good enough for her to improve, so after a month of back, and fourth I was denied the transfer. Now lets get to what this assignment is about. The method of informal research that I used for my theory was through personal contacts. Thanks to the assistance from my peers who worked in the human resources department I learned of another way to get to the Mount Kisco store. The theory that was...
Words: 441 - Pages: 2
...Ariel Berdon At home one day (a few years ago), I decided to test a theory I had about chocolate chip cookies. The theory was: “I think that the cookies would taste better if the dough was left in the refrigerator for 48 hours before getting baked.” My informal hypothesis was, "If I let the dough sit in the refrigerator for 48 hours, then these cookies will taste better than those cookies that were baked immediately after preparation.” This was a form of Experimental Research, which psychologists use to establish cause-and-effect relationships (Feldman, 2012, p. 29). I found that the cookies baked after 48 hours in the refrigerator (after preparation) were tastier than the cookies baked immediately after preparation. This conclusion was based on a single-blind test of 10 volunteers (not including myself obviously). Eight out of the ten chose the “refrigerator” cookie over the “immediate” cookie, without knowing which one was which. If given another opportunity, I would have also baked the cookies after 24 hours and after 72 hours in the refrigerator. This way, I could compare immediately after preparation, after 24 hours, after 48 hours, and after 72 hours to see how the cookies would taste. A survey was done with the 10 volunteers that tasted both cookies; it was found that the “refrigerator” cookies tasted better because they were more fluffy and chewy than the “immediate” cookies. “Replication is research that is repeated, sometimes using other procedures, settings, and...
Words: 321 - Pages: 2
...A Unified Theory of Software Testing This paper presents a theory, or model, for analyzing and understanding software test techniques. It starts by developing a theory for describing analytical test techniques, such as equivalence classes, pair-wise coverage and state modeling. It then develops the theory to cover other, more heuristic test techniques. This theory states that all testing techniques are composed of a modeling schemata, one or more coverage objectives, a dispersal strategy and a theory of error. All testing techniques address a fundamental problem of testing: vastly more tests are conceivable than you could possibly run. Each technique therefore consists of a method for modeling the software in a way that allows a coverage measure to be specified and achieved and a dispersal strategy that allows this to done efficiently. Testing theory has traditionally focused on the issue of coverage and the different ways to think of it (Kaner, 101 methods for code coverage). The obverse concept is dispersal, or a method for identifying and reducing tests that are "redundant". Take, for example, the pair-wise coverage technique. This technique is often applicable when the interaction of several independent inputs or configuration parameters create more combinations than is practical to test. Suppose you have an application that supports each of the following components: DATABASE Oracle DB2 SQLServer WEB SERVER IIS Apache Netscape APP SERVER WebSphere ...
Words: 983 - Pages: 4
...TESTING A THEORY TREMAINE L. GARNER PSY/211 - ESSENTIALS OF PSYCHOLOGY 03/12/12 INSTRUCTOR: IOANNIS PAPAZAFIROPOULOS Testing a Theory A coworker and I were bored one day at the preschool we worked at and decided to test out a theory about kids and their manners. We worked in a preschool that also did after care. The age ranges of the kids in the soon to be experiment were from three years of age to twelve. We started testing the kids and their manners for a workday; I figured the younger kids had better manners then the older kids and my coworker thought the opposite. We tested the kids without their knowledge. It was simple things we were looking for holding the door open for someone, picking something up if someone dropped it, saying please and thank you, sharing and so on. Thinking back on it I would say there was experimental bias being that the teachers were there to correct the mistakes we were looking for. Since it was a theory being tested between coworkers I am sure there was a bit of competition as to who wins as well. If given an opportunity to test this theory again I would most likely try testing the theory for a few more days, spend a day with each group. It would be hard to test on a theory like this one with consent, I believe, because the older kids would have been on their best behavior. Ethically we should have informed the parents that the kids were being tested on their behavior and gotten permission since they were all under age. Since it...
Words: 315 - Pages: 2
...Testing a Theory PSY 201 April 8,2012 University of Phoenix Testing a Theory The only theory I can remember testing at this time does not have anything to do with manors or behaviors. Unfortunately, I cannot recall an instance where I used a theory that had anything to do with psychology. Back a few months ago I bought a new laptop computer for both school and personal use. As I was loading the programs that I use on a regular basis, I also decided to delete a few of the factory stock programs. One program I did not want on my computer was Norton Anti-virus. After Norton was fully wiped off my hard drive it asked me to reboot my system. Once I restarted the computer, I noticed it took 20 minutes for the system to start normal. I instantly did a search on the internet to see if there were others with the identical problem, I found there were many others using the same machine I have. The only difference was they had he computer that came with the factory specifications, and mine was a custom build from Hewitt Packard. After I followed the directions I had no luck with how long it took for the computer to restart. I finally decided to call Hewitt Packard for advice with my issue. Hewitt Packard advised me to reinstall Norton, which solved my problem for about one day. I went through all the system configurations and tested the bois still no luck. It took about two days to figure out what was wrong, but my theory was to randomly plug in external hardware then remove it each...
Words: 342 - Pages: 2
...Testing a theory David Muñoz Psy 201 March 27, 2011 Patricia Sanker Abstract Testing a theory There comes a time perhaps, within each person’s life when they encounter an inner longing to discover meaning, and purpose for their life. It is a void that must be filled with answers that satiate that inner longing. For me, this point in my life came when I had already served nine years of a seventeen prison term. A term I would eventually discharge on January 20, 2005. My journey began with the passing of my dearest grandmother in February of 1995. Mourning her passing, I was filled with a deep sense of loss, making matters worse, was the fact that I was unable to be at her side in her time of need, nor was I able to attend her funeral services. With the passage of time I began to question the meaning of life, my life. I began to question the purpose for which I was born, was there really any purpose? So many other questions filled my thoughts, within me was a longing, a deep inner desire to know. Quest It had been two years since my Grandmother passed on. I can only describe them as tumultuous years.my emotions ranged in anger, and frustration, and so began my quest for meaning; purpose, and truth. Where did man come from? Why were we here? Was there any purpose to man’s existence? My journey led me to examine the theory of evolution vs. creation. The word "evolution" is often used as a shorthand for the modern theory of evolution of species based upon Charles's...
Words: 736 - Pages: 3
...Testing a Theory Chris Mitchell The most recent theory I have been working on is the different methods of discipline with my son, Haiden. The discipline method my husband and I were using with Haiden did not seem to work at all. I was starting to get frustrated that he would never learn or change his ways. One day I happened to read an article about how children react differently to different discipline methods. So I decided to test the theory on Haiden to see if maybe we were just using the wrong method. We began first by identifying the different methods that we thought might work for Haiden. From there we decided to implement the first method and try it for a few weeks to see if his behavior improved, worsened, or stayed the same. The first method was when he disobeyed he would be grounded to his room for the weekend. The first method did not work. His behavior stayed the same. The second discipline method we used was giving him additional chores when he disobeyed. His behavior got worse with the second method. The third method we are actually still trying is every time he disobeys he is to write on a sheet of paper 20 times, what he did wrong and what he should have done instead. Plus he needs to correct what he did. For example; he was at a friend’s house and went into the sister’s room and destroyed some of her things. The damage was $10.00. So he had to pay for half of the damage with his own money, write her an apology letter, and then write on a sheet of paper...
Words: 405 - Pages: 2
...Testing a Theory Music is one of my hobbies and I thoroughly enjoy playing many different musical instruments and recording my music. I tested a theory once with my guitar processor and my drum machine to see what new sounds I could create. A guitar processor is an electronic device that enables a person to plug in a guitar to the processor to access different sound effects with the guitar such as distortion, flange, wah wah, chorus, delay, and reverb. The drum machine is self-explanatory; it is an electronic device that contains samples of many different drum sounds for a person to create drum beats for songs. I wanted to try a different approach to create new sounds for my music. The research I conducted was listening to other music that used drums with effects on them. I also researched the method of effects that the DJ for the Beastie Boys uses on his turn tables. The DJ plugs his turn tables into an electronic sound effects device similar to my guitar processor and creates some amazing new sounds for the music. I was very intrigued by the way the DJ created the sounds so I wanted to try it for myself. I plugged my drum machine into my guitar processor and plugged them both into a guitar amplifier. I turned all the devices on and started experimenting. Some of the effects on the guitar processor were too noisy for the drum machine and made it sound uncontrolled. There were other effects I tried out that made some very interesting sounds on the drum beats. I took notes on...
Words: 349 - Pages: 2
...Testing a Theory Julio Melara PSY 211 August 24, 2011 Gloria S. Ringsby Bringing a Fly Back From the Dead I do not remember where or from whom, but several years I heard that someone could bring back a fly from the dead by completely covering it in salt. I was very skeptic when I first heard about this wanted to see if it was true so decided to try for myself. I did not do any kind of formal research as I thought this was just another wild story someone had started after they probably had too many drinks and thought they saw a fly come back to life. In any case I started to kill flies and pour salt on them but could not get any of them to come back to life. After talking to one of my friends probably just joking around, the subject came up and he told me the theory about bringing a dead fly back to life was true; the trick was you could not completely squash the life out of the fly. The trick to doing this was to catch the fly and kill it by drowning it. So I decided to give it another shot and try it. One day at friends house while enjoying a nice swim I was able to catch a fly and drown it in the pool. After I knew the fly was dead I completely covered it in salt, and after what seemed to be a couple of minutes the fly started to crawl out from under the salt and took flight again. This not only made a believer out of me but I was also able to amaze my friends around the pool on that day by performing this trick. I would say that what I did to test this theory...
Words: 349 - Pages: 2
...Testing a Theory Research is an investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws (www.usg.edu). In psychology there are several types of descriptive research used to investigate a person, group, or patterns of behavior. Descriptive research in psychology consists of archival research, naturalistic observation, survey research, case study, and correlational research. Even though we may not be psychologists, there are times when we have used one of these research methods to test a theory, whether at work, school, or even at home. There have been several times when I had to use research methods at work. Because I own a restaurant, I am involved in the hiring of new employees. The research methods used for this process are survey and case study. I use survey research because there is no better way to get to know someone better than by asking them questions directly about their thoughts and attitudes. To gain a more in-depth understanding of a potential employee, I turn to case study to do so. I ask questions to get a better insight of the personality of the person in order to see if they are fit for the job and will be a reliable employee. Whoever it is that is in charge of hiring employees should focus on hiring reliable and knowledgeable people to help run their business. This is an important part of owning...
Words: 345 - Pages: 2
...The theory I had tested was to see why children behave differently in a structured setting such as a daycare as opposed to a more relaxed setting like at home. I came up with this theory while picking my granddaughter up from daycare and would see how she would interact with the kids there. When she got home she would act differently with the kids outside of our home. I asked some of the parents did they mind me doing research on their children since some of the children attending lived in my neighborhood. I used a naturalistic approach when doing my research. I had starting observing the children’s behavior in the morning and afternoon at the daycare and when I would return home for the day. At daycare, the children seemed a little tensed and seem like they were just going through the motions of being there. They had a set schedule that they followed and this made some children react negatively because they had to be always told what they can do. At home when the children were outside playing, they seemed more relaxed because they can play how they want without the rules. My research method was similar to the methods that psychologists use because I paid close attention to the children’s behavior and actions. I watched and listened how they interacted with each other at daycare and at home. I found that the children played differently at home than at daycare because they were freer to explore more things instead of just sticking to a schedule. The things that I would do...
Words: 343 - Pages: 2
...The time I had to test a theory was when my boyfriend got in trouble with the law. Before he got in trouble, I got to see the person he was before and the changes he made to be a more well-rounded person. Cognitive Behavior Therapy was the therapy that best fit his needs before and after he when to rehab. His behavior was all about himself and how he was very distant, he did not care about anyone but himself, the drugs. After rehab his behavior changed greatly. His focus became all about his family, getting a good job, finding a house, and getting his own vehicle. I used the analytical research and that helped me understand what he was going through. From this research, I later learned the reasons for his behavior and his drug problem. The root of his problems began when he lost his mom at a very young age. He had to move to a new state to live with his dad and step-mother. To begin with, he was very close to his mom, and he was under the impression that his stepmom was trying to replace his mother. He was in great pressure and he decided that he did not want to deal with that and that he turned to drugs. He was also friends with others with the same problem, who didn’t even want to change. One day, he got caught with them and had to go to rehab to face his problem, take responsibility and change his life for the better. Throughout all of this, I was there and noticed that no one could have changed him, until he was ready to make that change for himself. Even though it was hard...
Words: 334 - Pages: 2
...accents. I had to figure out how to pitch a taglines to different kinds of members to better suit that group of members. To put this experiment together was quite simple because I see a variety of people throughout my day and I have so many opportunities to see how people respond that day and the days after. The theory I had was that my older members respond to southern accents, the male members respond to deeper or sultry tones, and the younger member base respond to upbeat or higher pitched tones of my voice. To test this, I developed a universal tagline, a tagline that caters to all of our products and services. The tagline was “Let us do a financial review with you to show you how to save money with your account.” I had used this tagline before and I had proof that it worked by looking at my previous referral sheet. This was the archival research that I had but I also had the naturalistic observations as my strongest advantage. Because I was going to see these customers again, I knew that I was going to be able to see for myself how people responded to my tagline. I conducted this experiment for three days and in that three day time span, I have found that my theory is true. Even though people did not respond to the tagline itself, they did respond to me. I found that the customers that...
Words: 449 - Pages: 2
