Video Game Science Project
Video Game Science Project - Blood Pressure
This video game science project determines if playing video games affects blood pressure.Background:
Research information on blood pressure. Answer the following questions: What is blood pressure? How is blood pressure determined? What factors cause an increase or decrease in blood pressure? What are video games designed to do? How might playing video games affect blood pressure and pulse rate?
Hypothesis:
From your research you will determine if playing video games has an affect on blood pressure.
Materials: (Adult supervision of kids is always recommended.)
- Suggested kit: i-Theatre Glasses
- Blood pressure and pulse monitor - Suggested monitors:
Scientifics Online: Wrist Blood Pressure/Pulse Monitor
- Video game console (can be a portable game player)
- Video games - sport, strategy, role playing, action-adventure, platform (mario), fighting
- Television (not needed for a portable game player)
- A number of human participants; the more the better
- Comfortable chair or sofa
1. Gather materials needed for your video game science project experiment. List all of the materials used including anything used in your kit. Also list the names of the specific video games you will be using.
2. Follow the instructions for properly operating your i-Theatre glasses and blood pressure monitor product. (The experiment can be done without the i-Theatre glasses, however the glasses will ensure that your participant is totally focused on playing the video game.)
3. Arrange the furniture in the room so that a chair or sofa is positioned in front of the television. Set up your video game system with the first game you have selected so that it is ready to play. Follow instructions for setting up and using your i-Theatre glasses.
4. Ask one of your participants to sit on the sofa or chair while you place the blood pressure monitoring system on his/her arm or wrist. This monitor will remain in place during the experiment.
5. 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.
6. Ask your participant to start playing the video game while wearing the i-Theatre glasses. Allow your participant to play the game for 15 minutes and take BP and pulse readings after 5, 10, and 15 minutes.
7. Repeat step 6 for the remaining video games. For example, if the first game you chose was a sports game, repeat the experiment again using a strategy game, then a role playing game, etc..
8. Repeat steps (4-7) for the rest of the participants in your study.
9. Calculate and record the average BP and pulse readings for each participant. Also calculate and record the average BP and pulse readings for all participants.
| 5 min. | 10 min. | 15 min. | Avg. | 5 min. | 10 min. | 15 min. | Avg. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | ||||||||
| Strategy | ||||||||
| Role Play | ||||||||
| Action-Adventure | ||||||||
| Platform | ||||||||
| Fighting | ||||||||
Results:
Compare the results for your video game science project experiment. Did any of the video games affect the blood pressure and pulse rate of your participants? If so, how? Were there any differences between the participants in age, gender, etc.? Was a particular group more affected by playing the games 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
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