Reflection
Hello! This is my reflection on how my independent study has gone so far! I have really enjoyed learning the basics of behavioral economics and the different paths that learning this topic has taken me down so far. I have been meeting with my Independent Study advisors Mrs. Frasher and Mr. Biersach biweekly and have found these meetings to be very productive. I have been recording all of my notes in a shared document with my advisors.
The thing that I have found most interesting so far is simply learning about all the different studies that have been conducted both at Duke and by other accomplished professors. It is this research that has prompted me to want to come up with some of my own “nudges” and try to encourage people in my community to practice mutually beneficial behaviors. For example, I really like the idea of putting mini basketball hoops over the compost bins in the bathroom to encourage people to compost their paper towels and will continue to brainstorm other “nudges” I can incorporate and utilize in my project. Experiments like these are the type of work that I am most looking forward to doing in the coming weeks and months. In doing these studies I hope to expand my area of study past music in an attempt to make my community better in a multitude of different facets. With music as a focus, however, I plan on working with some of DA’s clubs and especially bake sales to run some experiments on music’s effect on consumer behavior these next few weeks.
Ultimately, I am still undecided as to what I want my final product to look like. I really like the idea of testing music’s effect on an individual’s test-taking abilities and potentially working with Mrs. Rogers and Mrs. Frasher to conduct studies of that nature. As someone who has accommodations and has dealt with anxiety throughout my life, I have found that specific kinds of music have the ability to truly calm myself down and prompt me to focus. I believe that there are others like me who would benefit from listening to calming music when taking a test or doing homework as a means of making one relaxed and allowing one to maximize their testing potential. But I have not fully considered the logistics of this experiment so I will continue to think about it!
