You might theorize that the environment influences cognitive performance. Specifically, you think that different musical forms have different effects on cognitive function. You generate the hypothesis that people who listen to classical music will perfom better at a cognitive task than will people who are not listening to classical music. Additionally, you hypothesize that it is the classical form of music in particular that provides this cognitive benefit.

Describe an independent groups experimental approach to test this hypothesis. Be creative - think about ways that you could manipulate your Independent Variable and measure your Dependent Variable.

Be sure to operationally define both your Independent Variable and your Dependent Variable. Give enough detail to convey your research method. Be sure that you are specifying the comparison that could be made to test this hypothesis.

You may assume that you have unlimited resources (time, money, research assistants) but must follow laws of nature and may not invent random machines (no time travel, no jabbing thermometers into people's foreheads to measure their inner experiences).

Evaluate your proposal. Is an experiment an appropriate way to test your hypothesis? How well did you manipulate and measure your variables? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your design? If you violate ethical issues, please indicate that you are aware that you are doing so.