One of the best things you can do to learn about human behavior, think like a scientist, and discover the fun of research is conduct a psychology experiment in high school. If carefully planned, a psychology experiment can also be ethical and useful, enabling you to study interesting questions about the mind responsibly and with respect for the well-being of your participants. These are ten easy psychology experiments that may be conducted by high school students in an ethical fashion, each has step-by-step directions, learning objectives, and necessary ethical considerations.
1. The Stroop Effect: The Battle between Words and Colors
The Stroop Effect is a well-known psychology experiment that illustrates how your brain deals with two pieces of information that conflict. In this activity, you'll have participants read color words that are printed in misleading ink (the word "red" is printed in "blue") and state the color of the ink, not the word. The Stroop Effect is a simple psychology experiment that shows the interference between the automatic processes of reading and other tasks.
How to do it:
You need to prepare two lists: one with color words in the color ink to match the word and one with the ink to mismatch. You will time how long it takes each participant to read each list to you aloud. You can compare their times to see if the mismatching list slows them down.
What you’ll learn:
This psychology experiment shows the limits of attention and the complexity of cognitive processing.
Ethics:
There’s no risk or deception, making this a perfect psychology experiment for high school students.
2. Serial Position Effect: What Do We Remember Best?
This experiment in psychology tests memory by testing the theory of observing whether individuals recall items toward the start or end of a list better. This serial position effect test is an excellent method for learning about the memory process.
How to do it:
Read a list of 15–20 unrelated words to your participant at a steady pace. Afterward, ask them to write down as many words as they can remember. Analyze which words are recalled most frequently.
What you’ll learn:
This psychology experiment demonstrates the primacy and recency effects in memory, showing why beginnings and endings are easier to remember.
Ethics:
No deception or stress is involved, and participants can opt out at any time.
3. False Memory Test: Do You Trust Your Memory?
Your memory is not always reliable. In this psychology test, you shall witness how easily false memories can be created by giving you a series of related words but leaving out a central word (for instance, providing you with "bed, rest, awake, tired" but leaving out "sleep").
How to do it:
Share your list of related words, then after a short distraction, ask your participant to recall as many as possible. See if they “remember” the missing word.
What you’ll learn:
This psychology experiment highlights the reconstructive nature of memory and how suggestion can lead to false recollections.
Ethics:
Always debrief your participants and explain the purpose of the psychology experiment.
4. Conformity and Peer Pressure: The Asch Paradigm
Inspired by Solomon Asch’s famous psychology experiment, this activity explores how people may conform to group pressure. You’ll see if participants go along with an obviously incorrect group answer when comparing line lengths.
How to do it:
Show a set of lines and ask which matches a reference line. Have a group of “confederates” (in on the experiment) give the wrong answer aloud. Observe if the participant conforms or sticks to their own judgment.
What you’ll learn:
This psychology experiment reveals the power of social influence and the desire to fit in.
Ethics:
Avoid embarrassment, keep the atmosphere light, and always debrief participants.
5. The Placebo Effect: Does Expectation Shape Experience?
The placebo effect is an interesting psychology experiment that measures the influence of expectation upon perception. For instance, you can have volunteers drink two identical beverages and inform them that one has caffeine and the other does not, then test the volunteers' alertness level.
How to do it:
Prepare two identical beverages (e.g., decaf tea). Inform participants that one contains caffeine and one does not. Have them perform a simple task and determine their self-reported alertness or task completion.
What you'll learn:
This psychology experiment illustrates the strength of expectations and beliefs to bring about real effects—despite nothing having happened.
Ethics:
Employ only harmless substances and explain the psychology experiment thoroughly afterward.
6. The Bystander Effect: Will You Help?
Bystander effect is an experiment in psychology that investigates whether a person helps less when other people are around. You can turn it into a safe test, for instance by dropping a pile of papers, and measure helping behavior.
How to do it:
Get a person to "accidentally" drop papers in a public place. Gauge how many people assist when alone versus when others are there.
What you'll learn:
This psychology experiment aims to demonstrate diffusion of responsibility and social group processes in groups.
Ethics:
Maintain the situation as harmless, don't express distress, and debrief all.
7. Music and Mood: How Sound Shapes Feelings
This psychology experiment examines how music affects mood and productivity. Have participants do a simple task to different styles of music, or in silence.
How to do it:
Assign participants to different music conditions (classical, pop, silence, etc.). Have them complete a timed task or rate their mood before and after.
What you’ll learn:
This psychology experiment explores the psychological effects of auditory stimuli and can spark discussions about study habits and well-being.
Ethics:
Let participants opt out of music they dislike and keep volume comfortable.
8. Mirror Tracing: Learning and Handedness
Mirror tracing is a psychological test that gauges how individuals learn to perform novel actions with their body. The participant traces a form but has no indication of his hand in a mirror, so it's a difficult task.
How to do it:
The teacher draws a basic form (such as a star) on paper. Put a mirror where participants have only visibility of the hand. Measure the length of time to trace the form, and practice to refine.
What you’ll learn:
This psychology experiment demonstrates learning curves, frustration tolerance, and the role of feedback in skill acquisition.
Ethics:
Keep the task light and fun, and encourage participants to try their best.
9. Observation of Nonverbal Communication
In this psychology experiment, you’ll observe how people use body language and facial expressions to communicate. Watch a conversation (with permission) and note gestures, posture, and tone.
How to do it:
Have two friends converse. Make a note of, and pay attention to, what they do not say. Then talk about how much was conveyed nonverbally.
What you'll learn:
This experiment in psychology shows how much we use nonverbal information in everyday life.
Ethics:
Obtain consent from all those who participate and keep the observations confidential.
10. Priming and Perception: The Power of Suggestion
Priming is an experiment in psychology concerning how being exposed to particular words or pictures affects subsequent behavior. For instance, expose individuals to a set of positive or negative terms, and then ask them to describe a fuzzy picture or fill in word stems.
How to do it:
Exposure to a list of negative or positive words, then ask them to describe a fuzzy photo or fill in word stems. Observe if their reaction is in the primed mood.
What you'll learn:
This psychology experiment illustrates the influence of subtle cues on our attitudes and perceptions.
Ethics:
Honesty regarding the purpose of the experiment and not broaching sensitive issues.
Tips for Conducting an Ethical Psychology Experiment
Informed Consent: Always describe the psychology experiment and obtain consent before proceeding.
Debriefing: Tell participants what you were experimenting about after the experiment, and why.
Confidentiality: Maintain all data anonymous and confidential.
No Harm: Never employ deception that is likely to cause distress, and at all times permit withdrawal from participants.
Conclusion
A well planned psychology experiment gives high school students a sample of the amazing world of human thought and behavior. By picking studies that are ethical and relatively easy to perform, you will acquire scientific information about a topic, get experience to conduct research, and learn about yourself and others. Whether it is memory, perception, social influence, or emotion, there should be a psychology experiment here that will excite you. Just remember that the most important thing to a successful psychology experiment is not necessarily what you will learn, but the way you treat your subjects.
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