Research Experiment Brainstorming

So this semester, my final semester in college, I have to take a class that requires me to conduct my own research experiment/study. This is just an opportunity for me to brain storm. I may come back later and add onto it but we'll see.

Conformity - I'm sure a lot of students have already done this one but it doesn't seem too difficult. Quesetions could be Does age affect conformity? As participants get older the level of conformity declines? Does gender affect conformity? Does an all male group conform more than an all female group? If the group has more male participants are the females more likely to conform or the other way around? What type of situations lead to conformity? Seeing movie or music stars doing something? Seeing friends doing something? Seeing parents or family members doing something? Seeing teachers or other authority figures doing something? Reading about it in a magazine, book, newspaper? Seeing it online? What's the thought process behind conforming? When an indidividual is in the proccess of conforming what thoughts are going through their minds? Do individuals from lower socioeconomic statuses conform more than middle or upple class individuals? What race conforms the most and what influences their conformity the most - muscic, books, television, games, internet? So far, I'm quite interested in what race conforms the most and what had the most influence on the conforming. I would use a variety of sources like books, magazines, music, television, movies, the internet, friends, family, authority figures presenting different "cool" or "uncool" activities and trends and see what race is more likely to conform and which source is more likely to be used as a way to conform.

*****HERE'S MY DISCLAIMER!!!**** My hypothesis might sound racist or prejudice or discriminatory. IT IS NOT MEANT TO BE IN ANY KIND OF WAY. If you do not agree with me SO BE IT! This is my research experiment, my idea. If you don't like it take your fucking ass somewhere else. Thanks!

Hypothesis: The minority races - African-American, Mexican-American, Latin-American, Asian-American, etc will be more likely to conform. The sources that will be more likely to be used will be music, television, movies, and internet NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER. I think I'm not going to use parents, famiy, friends, or authority figures.

The procedure is going to be the tricky part. I will use ads seen online and on tv that relate to many different topics like drugs, alcohol, wearing fur, clothing trends, music preferences, movie preferences, Uhm basically I think I will just have my group of participants sitting in a room in a circle. I will present them all a picture for example of a movie star posing naked for an ad saying that they'd rather go naked than wear fur. I would then have them rate certain items on the picture like effectiveness of the ad, whether or not the ad makes them want to "go naked rather than wear fur", whether they like the star, whether or not they think the star is hot. I will then ask the participants to respond outloud whether or not they would do what the ad says...I want to ensure that all participants hear everyones answer so that they can feel the pressure of saying yes when everyone when else says no.

Fuck this is hard. I don't think that is going to work. I think I might need to slim down my topic. Like the different types of techniques that advertisers use to sell or combat the use of drugs and alcohol. I would have different groups of participants view different types of advertising and then I would ask questions like did these techniques make you want to do drugs? Did they convince you to not do drugs? Did they help you in facing a drug or alcohol problem? Whether or not they think the technique is affective for anyone they know that has a drug or alcohol problem? Maybe group a could get a series of movies and music that shows the depiction of drugs and alcohol in a good light and group b gets a series of ads and movies and music that show drugs and alcohol in a bad light. I like this idea because I think that drug and alcohol ads these days are ineffective. I would really like to explore these ads in younger like high school middle school age children but I don't believe I'm allowed to so I'd just use freshmen and sophmores versus seniors and juniors I guess. Hopefully I could get a good enough age range on the two upper levels.