The aroma of peppermint has long been associated with mental clarity, alertness, and cognitive enhancement. While some people use essential oils to help them study, does scent actually improve cognitive performance under controlled conditions? Psychologists want to use the laboratory experimental method to investigate if people make fewer errors on a cognitively demanding task, such as proofreading a short text, in a room scented with peppermint compared to a room with no smell.
Explain how you would conduct a study using the laboratory experimental method to investigate if there is a difference in the number of proofreading errors made in a room filled with the scent of peppermint compared to a room that has no smell. Justify your decisions as part of your explanation.
You must refer to:
You should use your own experience of practical activities to inform your response.
