Fear Science Project
Fear and Blood Pressure Project
This fear science project determines if fear has an affect on a person's blood pressure.Background:
Research information about the affect of fear on blood pressure. Answer the following questions: What is fear? What psychological and physiological affects does fear have on our body. What is blood pressure? How is blood pressure determined? Is there any relation between blood pressure and mood? What factors cause an increase or decrease in blood pressure? Can fear affect blood pressure?
Hypothesis:
From your research you will determine if fear has an affect on blood pressure.
Materials: (Adult supervision of kids is always recommended.)
- Suggested kit for this project: I-Theatre HR Glasses (optional)
Scientifics Online: I-Theatre HR Glasses
- Blood pressure and pulse monitor. If you need a monitor, see:
Scientifics Online: Wrist Blood Pressure/Pulse Monitor
- DVD of a horror movie
- DVD player (can be a portable player)
- Television
- Sofa or chair
- A number of human participants; the more the better
1. Gather materials needed for your fear science project experiment. List all of the materials including the name of the movie you will be using.
2. Follow the instructions for properly operating your I-Theatre HR Glasses and blood pressure monitor. (The experiment can be done without the I-Theatre HR Glasses, however the glasses will ensure that your participant is totally focused on the movie.)
3. Set up your television and DVD player or portable player. Select a scary scene from the horror movie to show to your participants.
4. Arrange the room so that a sofa or comfortable chair is positioned across from your television.
5. Ask one of your participants to sit on the sofa while you place the blood pressure monitoring system on his/her arm or wrist. This monitor will remain in place during the experiment.
6. Ask your participant to sit quietly for about 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, take the participant's blood pressure (BP) and pulse readings. Record the starting BP and pulse.
7. If using the I-Theatre glasses, ask your participant to put on the viewing glasses. Be sure to use the ear phones as well.
8. Play the scene you have selected for your participant.
9. Take the participant's BP and pulse readings after he/she has viewed the scene. Record the BP and pulse reading.
10. Repeat steps (5-9) for the remaining participants in your study.
| Resting | After Viewing Movie | Resting | After Viewing Movie | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Person #1 | ||||
| Person #2 | ||||
| Person #3 | ||||
| Person #4 | ||||
| Person #5 | ||||
Results:
Compare the results for your fear science project experiment. Did the movie affect the blood pressure and pulse rate of your participants? Were there any differences between the participants in age, gender, etc.? Was a particular group more affected by the scary scene than others (ex. males or females, younger or older)? Graph and chart your data.
Conclusion:
Summarize what happened in your project experiment based on your results. Explain patterns in your data. Did your data support your hypothesis? If not, explain why. Evaluate your project and make suggestions for improvements.
Project Display:
Now that you have completed your science project experiment, it is time to showcase all of your hard work. For information on how to display your science fair project, see Science Project Displays.
More Science Projects for Kids Samples:
Behavioral Science Fair Projects
Psychology Science Fair Projects
Science Projects for Kids
