Anyone know where I can find two similar questionnaires on human cognitive ability?

Hi all,

I am a grade 12 Biology student and my teacher has set us an Extended Experimental Investigation (EEI). However, unlike my previous years with biology, he has given us free reins to choose whatever subject or topic we wish. I have chosen to test the relationship between a lowered core temperature and human cognitive ability. To begin with I am going to ask each participant a questionaire, this questionaire will be named "questionaire 1". I am then going to submerse the participants (in chains of course ;p) in a large container filled with cold water and ice. After their core temperature has reached approximately 35 degrees celcius, I will quiz them with a second questionaire "questionaire 2". After I have done this for 10 or so people, I am going to compare the two answer sheets, that is, their answers from before they had a lowered core, and their answers once their core temp had been lowered for each person.

Now what i am getting at is that i don't know where i could find two questionaires that test similar parts of the brain with similar questions. Any help in helping me find some would be so muchly greatly appreciated. :)

Comments

[lemonie]

Can you also do the same with hot baths (a nice trade-off for volunteers)?
I think hot-work environments "fry" people's brains, so I'd be interested in your results.

L

[ghostmonkeys]

Nice Idea.

Your right, people would much prefer a hot bath to a 16 degree celcius bath. I will definetly take your suggestion into consideration. If I were to do two tests, one with a heightened core temperature and one with a lowered core temperature, and compare them, that would make for a major discussion point. I have heard of cases where underground miners have had their brains "addled" from working in extreme heats for extended periods of time - I suspect it has something to do with oxygen absorbtion. Thanks for the input.

And I liked your video reference. Funny stuff :)

Nathan

[lemonie]

I believe that oxygen absorption is a factor in heat, but I tend to find (internet) find that studies have involved exercise, which isn't the same as a sedentary evaluation.

Maybe do a sauna / cold bath combo?

L

[kelseymh]

Have you tried doing a Google search for "cognition questionnaire"? The spelling will be important if you want to get reliable results.

Also, you will need to have an experiment like this approved by your school's Institutional Review Board, and you will have to provide informed consent for all volunteers.

If your school doesn't have an IRB, then you will probably need to work with a local college or university and have it supervised by a faculty member from the appropriate department.

[ghostmonkeys]

Yeah I had a look and couldn't really find anything. I'm looking for two questionaires that test similar areas of the brain. It would need to cover multiple subjects, maths, english, and some science related questions.

As to the Institutional Review Board, I believe someone like that would only come into power if my teacher was uncertain about the safety and ethical legitimacy of the experiment.

The University of the Sunshine Coast is just down the road so I will get in contact with their science department.

Thanks for your help

Nathan

[kelseymh]

The IRB comes into play for any experiment or study involving humans. That's true in North America, Europe, and the Commonwealth countries. I don't know enough about other legal systems (e.g., east Asia) to say for sure.

The point of the IRBs is that it must not be up to the experimenter (or the experimenter's supervisor) to make that decision -- there is a conflict of interest. The IRB acts as a disinterested third party to evaluate the risks and benefits.

[Kiteman]

Have you spoken with your teacher about your plans?

If not, do so before going any further, as there are major safety (ie life-threatening) issues with the experiment you describe.

Note that I am not saying "do not do the experiment", but I am saying "perform a thorough risk assessment before going any further".

[Kiteman]

Surely, you could find one, and then simply rewrite (and re-order) the questions slightly to prevent the subject remembering answers?

As for the source of such a questionnaire, try a hospital neurology department, or a diving company (they do such tests on divers in compression / decompression chambers).

[ghostmonkeys]

Hmm. Great Ideas. Hopefully if I reword, and reorder the questions of each test, the participants will remain ignorant that they are the same quiz.

There is a diving company just a minute away so I will definitely have a talk with them about a possible questionaire.

Nathan