REQUEST FOR PROJECT CERTIFICATION

Catawba College Institutional Review Board

1. Name of Principal Investigator (or faculty sponsor): Dr. Sheila Brownlow will supervise
Abigail Alger NIH Human Subjects Training Badge Number: 2593125

2. Date of submission: March 28, 2018

3. Time span for the project: March 2018 – May 2018

4. The project is essentially a student project: Yes

If Yes, course for which project will be submitted: Experimental Psychology

(Psychology 2222)

If Yes, name of Student Investigator: Abigail Alger

5. Funding source(s) for the project (if none, so indicate): None

6. Title of project: The Effect of Stereotype Perception on the Performance of Tasks

7. Purpose of the project, stated clearly.

a. Include a brief summary of salient background information, what research issue is
being addressed, and the research purpose/hypothesis.
Stereotypes impact many aspects of life. For example, many interactions between people
are often influenced by stereotypes and the ideas people have regarding the stereotype. I will
be examining the impact of exposure stereotypically consistent of inconsistent primers.
Research has shown negative stereotypes can have a physical, mental or even social impact
on any group (Robertson & Weiss, 2017). Likewise, it has been shown when people believe a
negative stereotype to be true, they are likely to let that ideology influence the way they view
the lives and abilities of others, as well as themselves (Nelson, 2016). In one particular study,
Tuckman and Lorge (1952) assessed persons’ perceptions of older adults. Participants’
answers showed that there was a typically negative perception of older adults in general as
well as older adults in the work place, leading researchers to propose the idea of finding a
way to change the negative perception of older adults and to educate all adults on the aging
process not only for their understanding over older adults around them, but for their own
benefit as well (Tuckman & Lorge,1952).
In another examination of how age-related stereotypes impacted the perception of the
social status of older people in a population, Robertson and Weiss (2017) examined if older
adults are thought to have lower social status than their middle - aged counterparts.
Robertson and Weiss (2017) used the idea of stereotypes often associated with older adults as
they are seen holding higher ranking positions, such as management, in the work force and
presented them to young adults. The results showed participants coming from countries
where the leader was of an older age were significantly more likely to have positive
perceptions of older adults holding powerful positions in the work force than those who had
come from a country where they leader was of a younger age suggesting that perceptions of
 older people may be a function of distinct environmental and social cues (Robertson &
Weiss, 2017).
In an investigation of how being exposed to older person stereotypes negatively affect
participants performance, Miller, Gordon, Olsson, Lundstrom, & Dalton (2013) examined
how the use of primes on participant performance on olfactory tasks and the impact of
stereotypes on motor behaviors. Participants took part in priming tasks (audio - visual
presentations) and then were asked to rate smells provided to them based on intensity,
pleasantness, and familiarity. In addition, reaction time and odor responses were recorded.
While the results found by Miller et al. (2013) found that there was no effect of priming on
the perception of the smells ratings of smell intensity, the results showed evidence of an
increase in reaction time and a decrease in walking speed of those who were primed with the
older person stereotypes (Miller et al., 2013).
In an exploration of how stereotypes regarding people with disabilities as well as older
people impact motor performance, Ginsberg, Rohmer & Louvet (2012) performed a study
with three different conditions (elder-neutral, disabled-neutral, and elderly-disabled) to
examine if exposure to these stereotypes would cause an increase in reaction time and a
decrease in participants’ ability to perform. Participants were primed and then completed
word scramble tests and motor tests. Participants who were primed under the elderly disabled
condition performed significantly slower than those who had been exposed to the other two
conditions.
In sum, the presence of negative stereotypes regarding older adults is one that is very
prevalent in society today. Studies have shown that these negative perceptions not only have
an impact on the ability of older adults to thrive in the workplace but also on their own
physical and mental wellbeing as they age. The purpose of this study is to examine how the
perception of stereotypes of older people influence the behavior of people viewing those
stereotypes. I hypothesize that exposure to stereotypically consistent behavior for older adults
will result in an increase in the time for a person performing cognitive and motor tasks along
with a decrease in performance on these same tasks consistent with the stereotypes of older
persons.

b. Describe why the use of human subjects is necessary for this project.
Humans are needed to study this topic as the topic concerns humans.

c. Describe the benefits to be gained by individuals and society.

This research will provide insight into the potential impact stereotypes have on our
perceptions of other people. This research will also provide insight as to how perceptions can
positively or negatively impact a person’s ability to perform cognitive and motor tasks.

d. Are your intended procedures recognized as a "common" way to study this research
topic? Yes

e. Reference(s) for your intended procedures (if modeled after the existing literature):
Ginsberg, F., Rohmer, O., & Louvet, E. (2012). Priming of disability and elderly stereotype
in motor performance: Similar or specific effects? Perceptual and Motor
Skills,114(2), 397-406. http://dx.doi.org/10.2466/07.PMS.114.2.397-406
Miller, S. S., Gordon, A. R., Olsson, M. J., Lundunstrom, J. N., & Dalton, P. (2013). Mind
 over age - stereotype activation and olfactory function. Journal of Chemical
Sciences,38, 167-174. http://dx.doi:doi:org/10.1093/chemse/bjs086
Nelson, T. D. (2016). Promoting healthy aging by confronting ageism. American
Psychologist,71(4), 276-282. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0040221
Robertson, D. A., & Weiss, D. (2017). In the eye of the beholder: Can counter-stereotypes
change perceptions of older adults’ social status? Psychology and Aging,32(6), 531-
542. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pag0000186
Tuckman, J., & Lorge, I. (1952). The influence of a course on the psychology of the adult on
attitudes toward old people and older workers. Journal of Educational
Psychology,43(7), 400-407. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0062469

8. Abstract of the project (including the type of experimental design, a description of what
will be asked of/done to participants, kinds of data to be collected, the data-gathering tools,
recording procedures, and how these data will be treated for analysis. Attach data-gathering
tools).
Participants and Design
Participants will be 48 college students. Participants will be randomly assigned to read a
scenario pertaining to either older or younger people. Within those groups, participants will be
randomly assigned to read scenarios containing stereotypically age-consistent situations or
stereotypically age-inconsistent situations. These manipulations will result in a 2 x 2 (Target
Age: Older vs. Younger x Consistency of Behavior: Consistent vs. Inconsistent) between -
subjects design. All participants will provide informed consent before beginning the experiment.
Stimuli
I will produce four separate scenarios located on four different sheets of paper for a
portion of this experiment. One scenario will consist of a situation which is stereotypically
consistent with an older person, specifically, driving too slowly on the road because they are lost.
A second scenario will consist of a situation which is stereotypically inconsistent with a young
person, specifically, driving too slowly on the road because they are lost. A third scenario will be
stereotypically consistent with a young person, specifically, texting and driving. A fourth
scenario will be stereotypically inconsistent with an older person, specifically, texting and
driving. In each of the different scenarios, there are six different examples of primers being used.
For example, “the older person is looking from side to side” and “a young person who is
responding to some text messages.” Each scenario consists of approximately 400 words and
there are six primes in each of the scenarios. For copies of the scenarios, see Appendix A.
Dependent Measures
Recall. Participants will recall information from the scenario they read. Participants will
be given 60 s to recall as many details from the scenario as possible and write those details on
the sheet of paper provided to them. There are six priming phrases located in each scenario, and
the recall will reinforce those primes. For scenarios see Appendix A.
Motor tasks. Participants will perform a gross motor task in which they will throw a
small ball into a bin located 3 meters away. There will be six balls, each ball will be thrown into
the bin twice for a total of 12 times. The participants will throw the ball into the bin with the
intent of getting the ball to stay in the bin after each throw. Each successful throw will be
recorded.
Participants will perform a fine motor task using the bilateral transfer device in which
they will sit in front of a mirror and will solve the Porteus maze by looking only at the reflected
image in the mirror and not at the actual image itself. The time on task will be recorded as soon
as the participant has completed the Porteus maze. For Porteus maze see Appendix B.
Cognitive task. Participants will perform a cognitive task. Participants will be seated and
will complete a word search. The word search will contain 15 words to be found. Participants
will be given 5 min to complete the word search. A word search was found online and obtained
from Lots of words word search puzzle. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2018, from
http://www.whenwewordsearch.com/word_search/lots_of_words/1396/word_search.jsp. For
word search see Appendix C.
Procedure
One group of participants will serve under the one of the experimental conditions. The
participants will be seated at a table where they will provide consent and will then be given a
copy of the written scenario to read (found in Appendix A). The participant will be informed to
read the scenario carefully as there would be a recall test following the reading. Once finished, I
will remove the scenario and the participant will write down as many details from the scenario as
they remember. After the recall task has been completed, the participant will perform a gross
motor task where they will toss balls into a bin and the accuracy of their tosses will be recorded.
Once the gross motor task is complete, the participant will be seated in and asked to perform a
fine motor task in which they are seated in front of a mirror where they will trace the reflection
of a Porteus maze to the best of their ability. The time it took for the participant to complete the
Porteus maze, as well as the number of errors made will be recorded. Participants will then be
asked to take part in a cognitive task where they will complete a word search. I will
counterbalance the different tasks across the four conditions to control for the potential of carry
over effects. Once participants have completed all tasks, I will thank them for their participation
and they will be fully debriefed and excused.

9. The project will occur on the Catawba College Campus

Yes
10. Expected number of participants: 48 participants

11. Participants will come from one of these Vulnerable Groups:

Catawba College Students YES
Children NO
Decisionally-Impaired NO
Institutionalized NO
Non-Native English Speaking POSSIBLY
Students from PI's Class(es) YES
Other: Students from other professors’ classes YES

12. Obtaining Participants

a. How will participants be selected? From those who volunteer for no compensation or
for credit.
b. Recruiting Methods (Describe how prospective participants will be contacted): By
poster in the psychology hallway and by individual contact.
c. Describe the inducements used for participation (if none, so indicate): In-class or
extra credit may be granted in some psychology professor’s courses.
 1. describe consequences of declining to participate (if none, so indicate): None;
students may simply not sign up for the experiment.
2. describe consequences of withdrawing from the project (if none, so indicate):
None. Students are told that it is their right to withdraw without penalty.

13. Indicate the amount of time required for participation: About 20-30 minutes.

14. Describe the method for obtaining INFORMED CONSENT: Upon arrival in the testing
room, participants will be told that they will:
Participants will be seated at a desk where they will be told they are participating in a
project that studies task performance. First, I am going to give you a scenario to read. Once you
are finished reading the scenario, I will take the scenario away and you will be given 60 seconds
to recall and write down as many details form the scenario as you are able to do. Once you have
completed recalling details, I will ask you to take part in various other tasks. You will be doing a
cognitive, gross motor, and fine motor task but not necessarily in that order.
I will then provide rights as participants, in accordance with the NIH guidelines: the right to
withdraw without penalty at any time, and the right to withdraw their data if they so choose. I
will then ask if they have any questions. After participants sign the form I will begin the
experiment.

15. Informed Consent Issues:

Participants are informed of their right to withdraw during the project YES

Participants are informed of any consequences of declining or withdrawing from the

project There are none

Participants are informed of pertinent attendant risks YES

Participant are informed about who to contact for questions about the project and/or
their rights. YES

The project requires disclosure of personal information YES

The project ensures data are kept confidential YES

Data are kept in a locked laboratory and only subject numbers are used on materials.
A copy of "Informed Consent" Form is attached YES

16. Participants obtained from a VULNERABLE GROUP (as identified in item #9)
require special attention to several aspects to "Informed Consent", e.g., participation truly
is voluntary, requisite information for making a choice is understood, another person may
be responsible for "consenting" for the potential participant. Describe the methods to be
followed to obtain VOLUNTARY informed consent from participants obtained from
vulnerable groups. Please see consent form, which we read to participants. The form states
and we will re-iterate that persons may withdraw without penalty at any time, they have the right
to not answer questions, and they may ask to have their data removed from the study (only
possible while they are still in the testing situation; after that we do not know whose data belong
to whom.)

17. Summarize attendant risks to participants that may occur, e.g., physical, psychological,
privacy; requests for personal information, use of deception. Students may be bored for 20-
30 minutes and they may be frustrated by the difficulty of the tasks, a situation that may cause
stress if students perceive they are being evaluated.

18. Evaluate the risks itemized in #16, above, e.g.,

a. how do the risks compare to those normally encountered in daily living?
The risks encountered in this study are not any more dangerous or taxing than those
encountered in everyday life. Participants will be performing tasks which are similar to those
which are done on a regular basis. Some of the fine motor tasks may cause limited frustration.

19. Discuss the "Risk/Benefit" Ratio as applied to this project:

The possible risks encountered in this study would be in regard to student time and
energy; some level of frustration or concern for confidentiality for some students, which we will
try to minimize. I believe that the risk/benefit ratio is low, particularly in light of the importance
of the research question. The research I obtain will be beneficial in that by understanding the
effect negative stereotypes have on older people, an effort can be made to reverse the negative
perceptions people tend to have in regard to the older population.

20. Dealing with attendant risks.

a. Describe how you will minimize risks to your participants, including unintended
stress arising from participation: Students will be told that they may leave at any time.
After the tasks are over, the experimenter will tell the participant that “we know these are
hard tasks, so I really appreciate your time”.
b. If participants are asked to reveal personal, embarrassing, and/or sensitive
information, describe how this information will remain anonymous and/or confidential
(if not applicable, so indicate): Students are assigned a participant number on their data,
which are kept separate from the students’ consent forms. No names are attached to data,
even those gathered via computer.
c. If participants will be placed under any physical risk, describe the appropriate
medical support services available if needed (if not applicable, so indicate): N/A

21. Describe the "Debriefing" plans for these participants: A debriefing script is prepared
for all students. The script includes the method (IV manipulation—and particular group
assignment of the participant), the dependent measures, the expected outcomes, and the reasons
why the project was undertaken.

22. Describe how the data will be used, i.e., how confidentiality and/or anonymity will be
maintained: After data are collected they are assigned a number to be used in statistical
analyses; no names are used.

23. How long will the data be kept and when and how will they be destroyed? The data will
be shredded after analysis.
Submitted by __________________________________________ Date: __________________
(student signature)

Supervised by: _________________________________________ Date: __________________

(Faculty/supervisor signature)

Department Reviewer __________________________________ Date: ___________________

CATAWBA COLLEGE – CONSENT FORM
Consent to act as human participant

1. Project Director: Dr. Brownlow

2. Project Title: Testing Skills

 3. Your Name (please print):

 4. Date of consent:

5. Description and explanation of procedures: This is a test in which you will do some reading.
Following the reading you will take part in a recall task, a cognitive task, a fine motor task, and a gross
motor skills task

6. Risks and/or discomforts: You need to focus on the tasks for about 20-30 minutes.

7. Potential benefits: You will assist students and researchers collect information about how students do
laboratory tasks, you may have fun, and you may be earning credit/extra credit in one of your courses.
Additionally, you will learn more about the study and the experimental process at the end of the study.
You may also ask questions at the end of this session, or by calling or emailing Dr. Brownlow or the
students conducting the experiment.

8. CONSENT:
By signing this consent form, you agree that you understand the procedures and any risks and benefits
involved in this research. Your participation is entirely voluntary; therefore, you may refuse to participate
or to withdraw your consent from this study at any time without penalty or prejudice. That means that
you could stop at any time, or ask us to withdraw your data. You may also omit questions if you are
uncomfortable. Your privacy will be protected because the information that you provide will not be
identified by your name.

This project has been reviewed and approved by the College Institutional Review Board

Questions regarding your rights as a participant can be answered by calling Professor Kimberly
Creamer at 704-637-4462. Questions regarding the research itself can be answered by calling Dr.
Brownlow at 704-637-4102.

By signing this form, you are agreeing to participate in this research project as described to you by

________________________________________
Name of researcher
________________________________________
Participant’s Signature*

* Be certain to sign/date these spots in particular.

--STOP: IF you are not yet 18, see us or complete below--

_____________________________________ _____________________________________
Custodial Parent(s)/ Guardian Signature(s) Custodial Parent(s)/ Guardian Signature(s)
 Appendix A: Scenarios used in the experiment

Scenario #1: Stereotype Consistent for Older Person

It is a beautiful sunny day, you have the day off work, and you are going to run as many
errands as you can fit into the day. You get in your car and begin driving to the grocery store. On
your way to the store, you have your windows down and music playing. You make it out of your
neighborhood and are driving down the road when suddenly, the car in front of you slows down.
The speed limit is fifty miles per hour and older person driving the car ahead of you is going
twenty-five mph. You notice the older person is looking from side to side and tends to turn their
turn signal on and off as if they are unable to make up their mind. It is safe to assume they are
lost. It ends up taking you longer than you planned to get to the store. You’re now running
behind schedule. You quickly run into the store, grab everything you need and run to the
checkout line. Upon reaching the checkout line, you notice there is only one line open, at the
head of the line there is an older woman who is dumping all of the contents out of her purse in an
effort to search for her rewards card that she swears is in there somewhere. You end up waiting
an extra ten minutes until she decides she doesn’t need it. As she goes to pay for her groceries,
she realizes the card reader is not one that she is used to. The cashier explains to her that she
must insert the chip end of her card into the chip reader in order for the transaction to be
processed. The woman insists that the chip has never stopped her from being able to swipe her
card through the machine before. The machine continuously asks her to insert the chip and yet
she keeps on swiping her card instead. Finally, her card goes through and you are able to check
out the items you needed and continue on with your busy day.

Scenario #2: Stereotype Inconsistent for Young Person

It is a beautiful sunny day, you have the day off work, and you are going to run as many
errands as you can fit into the day. You get in your car and begin driving to the grocery store. On
your way to the store, you have your windows down and music playing. You make it out of your
neighborhood and are driving down the road when suddenly, the car in front of you slows down.
The speed limit is fifty miles per hour and young person driving the car ahead of you is going
twenty-five mph. You notice the young person is looking from side to side and tends to turn their
turn signal on and off as if they are unable to make up their mind. It is safe to assume they are
lost. It ends up taking you longer than you planned to get to the store. You’re now running
behind schedule. You quickly run into the store, grab everything you need and run to the
checkout line. Upon reaching the checkout line, you notice there is only one line open, at the
head of the line there is a young girl who is dumping all of the contents out of her purse in an
effort to search for her rewards card that she swears is in there somewhere. You end up waiting
an extra ten minutes until she decides she doesn’t need it. As she goes to pay for her groceries,
she realizes the card reader is not one that she is used to. The cashier explains to her that she
must insert the chip end of her card into the chip reader in order for the transaction to be
processed. The girl insists that the chip has never stopped her from being able to swipe her card
through the machine before. The machine continuously asks her to insert the chip and yet she
keeps on swiping her card instead. Finally, her card goes through and you are able to check out
the items you needed and continue on with your busy day.
Scenario #3: Stereotypically Consistent for Young Person

It is a beautiful sunny day, you have the day off work and you are going to run as many
errands as you can fit into the day. You get in your car and begin driving to the grocery store. On
your way to the store, you have your windows down and music playing. You make it out of your
neighborhood and are driving down the road and are approaching a stop sign where you see there is
another car stopped. After a few seconds, the car ahead of you still does not move. Upon looking
closer, you realize it is a young person who is responding to some text messages. They notice you
are stopped behind them and yet they continue to text. Finally, after two minutes pass the young
driver puts down their phone and proceeds through the stop. You are able to arrive at the store
without any further incidents. You run into the store quickly to grab the several items you need so
that you can move on to the next stop on your list, when suddenly you see a group of young people
messing with the canned soups in the isle you need to go down. The group looks to be building
some kind of pyramid. You cannot leave the store without grabbing that can of tomato soup but the
kids have taken all of the tomato soup and used it in their pyramid. As much as you don’t want to,
you have to go ask the group of young people to give you one of the cans. Once you gather the can
of soup and the other items you need and pay for your items, you get back into your car. As you go
to start the engine, your phone begins to ring; it’s your boss with very important information about
a huge project you have been working on all month. It is extremely important that you hear every
word she is saying and do not miss any of the details, as she is the type who will only say
something once. Suddenly, another group of young kids pulls up beside you and they have their
music turned up as loud as it goes. The music booms through their speakers and is so loud you can
barely hear yourself think, let alone your boss speaking on the phone. The music continues for the
entire duration of the phone call. After hanging up with your boss, you pull out of the parking lot
and continue on with the rest of your day.

Scenario #4: Stereotypically Inconsistent for Older Person

It is a beautiful sunny day, you have the day off work and you are going to run as many
errands as you can fit into the day. You get in your car and begin driving to the grocery store. On
your way to the store, you have your windows down and music playing. You make it out of your
neighborhood and are driving down the road and are approaching a stop sign where you see there is
another car stopped. After a few seconds, the car ahead of you still does not move. Upon looking
closer, you realize it is an older person who is responding to some text messages. They notice you
are stopped behind them and yet they continue to text. Finally, after two minutes pass the older
driver puts down their phone and proceeds through the stop. You are able to arrive at the store
without any further incidents. You run into the store quickly to grab the several items you need so
that you can move on to the next stop on your list, when suddenly you see a group of older people
messing with the canned soups in the isle you need to go down. The group looks to be building
some kind of pyramid. You cannot leave the store without grabbing that can of tomato soup but the
group has taken all of the tomato soup and used it in their pyramid. As much as you don’t want to,
you have to go ask the group of older people to give you one of the cans. Once you gather the can
of soup and the other items you need and pay for your items, you get back into your car. As you go
to start the engine, your phone begins to ring; it’s your boss with very important information about
a huge project you have been working on all month. It is extremely important that you hear every
word she is saying and do not miss any of the details, as she is the type who will only say
something once. Suddenly, another group of older people pulls up beside you and they have their
music turned up as loud as it goes. The music booms through their speakers and is so loud you can
barely hear yourself think, let alone your boss speaking on the phone. The music continues for the
entire duration of the phone call. After hanging up with your boss, you pull out of the parking lot
and continue on with the rest of your day.
Appendix B: Porteus Maze used in the experiment
Appendix C: Word search used in the experiment