Running Head: X MARKS THE SPOT

X Marks the Spot

Grayson Grimes
Center for Advanced Research and Technology

X MARKS THE SPOT

2
Methods

Participants
The participants included a random sample of five female and five male (N=10) students
from the AM Psychology and Human Behavior Lab at the Center for Advanced Research and
Technology (CART).
Materials
Blindfolds were created from a CVS night mask and a long-sleeved collared shirt.
Additional materials included blue painters tape to create an X approximately 38 feet diagonally
away the starting point on the floor and a standard tape measure.
Procedure
The participants stood on the starting line and observed the X marked on the ground.
After observation alone, the participants put on a blindfold and walked to the X. They told the
observer when they believed they were on the X. The distance from the X was measured and put
into a data table. The participants remained blindfolded and were lead back to the starting point.
The blindfold was then taken off, and the participant walked to the X and back. Participants
were then moved the starting point and blindfolded again. The participants then walked to the X
and told the observer when they believe they were on the X. The distance from the stopping
point to the X was then recorded.
Results
The average distance away from the X on the first trial was 63 inches (see Figure 1) and
the second trials average distance away from the X was 41 inches. There was no visible
discrepancy in distance improvement between genders.

X MARKS THE SPOT

Discussion
It was predicted that after walking to the X without a blindfold, the participant would
develop neuroplasticity through the utilization of muscle memory and would walk closer to the X
when the blindfold was put on again. On average, the data showed a trend of participants getting
much closer to the X, supporting the hypothesis.
The results are inconclusive as a result of unpredicted variables such as the participants
that did not fully understand the instructions. Some of the participants immediately took off the
blindfold after walking to the X the first time, giving them a bearing on how close they were.
This gave them an unfair advantage over the other participants.
Further variables that affected the experiments results were the lack of participants. To
give a study any real reliability, there would need to be at least 30+ participants. The participant
pool was limited to 10 volunteers. This gives an inaccurate representation of an overall general
ability for the average person to develop neuroplasticity through this method.
Another variable that affected results was the environment the experiment was conducted
in. The hallway walls and big table that obstructed the walkway to the X served as reference
points that gave participants a bearing that allowed them to get closer to the x, rather than
estimating in their head how far to walk. There would probably be quite a difference in results if
these were not present.
One more variable that had an effect on the results was the participants that received
audible instructions. A few bystanders thought it was funny to mislead the participants by telling
them, while the participants were blindfolded, to go a certain direction. Even though the

X MARKS THE SPOT

instructions were contradictory to the actual direction they were supposed to walk, it still
affected the participants none-the-less.
For further research possibilities, it would be beneficial to run the experiment isolated
from bystanders, have the environment not obstructed by obstacles or reference points, have a
bigger participant pool, and a clearly stated instructions to the participants.

X MARKS THE SPOT

X Marks the Spot

140

Distance from X (inch.)

120
100
80
60

Trial 1(walking to the "X")

Trial 2 (After Muscle Memory)

40
20
0

Figure 1: A graph depicting distance from the x