The students conducted an experiment to test if consuming sugar increases concentration abilities. They had students complete a maze, then eat Pixie Stix, and complete the same maze again. They found that students completed the second maze faster after consuming sugar. However, the maze was actually backwards the second time. So students were able to complete it faster due to recognizing the pattern rather than increased concentration from sugar.

1. The Sugar Test
An experiment
By Katie O, Shane H, Nicky B, and Jak S

2. Our Thesis
• Our study shows that the
consumption of sugar significantly
increases concentration abilities,
proven through the time it took to
complete a maze before and after
the consumption of sugar.

3. Background
• Many teachers, parents, students, and test-takers
have lived by the myth that consuming sugar before
a test or exam will increase concentration
abilities and raise scores. To test this theory, we
designed a matched-pairs experiment. Two students
got into pairs and then each timed the other as
they completed the first maze (maze A). Next, they
were provided with two Pixie Stix each and then
after approximately five minutes they were given
the next maze (maze B). After crunching the data,
it is clear that sugar increases concentration and
ability.

4. Maze A Maze B
200
150
100
50
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

5. Maze A Maze B
6.0
4.5
3.0
1.5
0
10 30 50 70 90 110 130 150 170 190

6. Girls Guys
Girls Guys
3.00 5.00
2.25 3.75
1.50 2.50
0.75 1.25
0 0
10 40 70 100 130 160 190 10 40 70 100 130 160 190

7. Five Number Summary
Maze A(Without Sugar)
Mean: 83.95
Median: 64
Mode: 64
Quartile 1: 49.5
Quartile 3: 113
Maze B(With Sugar)
Mean: 59.20
Median: 41
Mode: 38
Quartile 1: 32
Quartile 3: 87.5

8. CONCLUSION
• Our study shows that sugar significantly
increases a persons ability to concentrate
and improves test scores.

9. What was misleading...?

10. • 1.) We used the same maze for both tests, but
maze B was backwards. As subjects realized this,
they were able to complete the maze much faster.
• 2.) We had an outlier that skewed the data, and left
it out.
• 3.) The fact that boys are faster than girls is
exaggerated by the fact that there are more boys
in the class then girls overall.
• 4.) There were a few different modes, but
we chose the one that pushed more in our
favor.