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Leto Students Play Mind Games

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By COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR

cpastor@tampatrib.com

Published: November 26, 2008

TOWN 'N COUNTRY - Are high school students more easily persuaded than teachers? Can women see hidden images in pictures better than men? Does sight or sound stand out more when watching a movie?

Leto High School psychology students wanted to find out, and they used their classmates and teachers as guinea pigs.

The school held its second annual psychology fair - "Get Psyched" - in the courtyard on Nov. 14. About 100 students enrolled in regular and Advanced Placement psychology courses participated, and teacher Kim Garcia hopes the exposure attracts more students into the program.

The fair gave students a chance to research topics that interested them and test their theories on classmates.

"The kids are really excited about it," Garcia said. "They come to me and say, my hypothesis is working or it's not - and that's OK."

The students tracked their results. Garcia planned to have them dissect the data later to see what they learned and draw conclusions.

Working in small groups, students set up booths around the Leto courtyard to run their tests. Up front, teens gathered to see if accuracy dropped on the video game "Guitar Hero" when a player switched between his or her right and left hand.

Testers checked out how well people worked under pressure as they attempted to assemble a puzzle amid distractions of music and sudden noises. Students watched the DVD "Happy Feet" set to another movie's soundtrack and took cues to see if they had paid more attention to the words or images. Another game asked subjects to match slogans with advertisers to see which gender paid more attention to detail.

Psychology students from the University of South Florida also set up a booth so the Leto students could learn about post-secondary education options and careers in the field.

Leto seniors Milvia Cartaya, Lourdes Cortes and Christopher Cassagne chose the power of suggestion to research. One of the tests involved showing participants a small book and a heavy textbook and having them close their eyes. Then Cassagne, 17, switched books and put two of the same-sized books into the subject's hands.

They tracked how many people lowered their hands, thinking one of the books was heavier than the other.

Cartaya, 17, said she wondered if teenagers would be more susceptible to suggestions, considering how some reacted to peer pressure. But adults proved them wrong.

"We've done a couple of teachers," Cassagne said, "and they've fallen for it, too."

Reporter Courtney Cairns Pastor can be reached at (813) 865-1503.

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