MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: Cindy Raisor, Executive Director of Research and Development Science/Engineering Team (Erin Tholstrup, David

Strack, Bryan Bentley, Ryan Verdin) DATE: March 8, 2013 SUBJECT: Proposal for New Mythbusters Episode (Battle of the Sexes Part II) ACTION REQUIRED: Decide whether this episode will be filmed. If so: schedule the filming date.

Please find attached a recommendation for a Mythbusters episode titled Battle of the Sexes Part II. The episode includes the head to head competition between men and women in the testing of four clich myths about a persons sex: multitasking, following instructions, memory and reaction time. The concept of the show involves challenging both a mens team and womens team to tests and comparing their scores. With all scores calculated, the results will indicate whether the myths about certain gender clichs are true or if they are perpetuated stereotypes. The original episode of Mythbusters, entitled Battle of the Sexes, was popular and had a large viewer rating. The concept of competing head to head in everyday activities engages the audience, so this continuation in the battle of men versus women allows for the facilitation of another popular Mythbusters episode with potentially even higher viewer ratings.

Proposed Topic: Battle of the Sexes Part II

Executive Summary In response to your request for proposal for a new Mythbusters episode, we are proposing to air a sequel episode for Battle of the Sexes due to the episodes high viewer rating (7.3/10)[6]. Several myths are common in stereotyping for both the male and female sex and this episode is meant to expand off of them. This episode will continue off of the Mythbusters episode Battle of the Sexes, and explore myths associated with men and women in more depth. But this time, theres a twist. In this proposed episode, a team of 5 men will challenge a team of 5 women to four categories of challenges that each address a myth centered on gender stereotypes. This twist in the episodes dynamic will be very exciting to the audience and will introduce a whole new level of entertainment. The proposed category of each challenge is listed below. Challenge Multitasking Myth Women are better at multitasking than men [1] Following Instructions Men cannot follow a set of instructions [3] Women have better memories than men [2] Men have faster reaction times than women [4]
Table 1

Memory Ability

Reaction Time

Introduction Although the main objective of Mythbusters is to determine the validity of a believable statement, this episode has the potential to be supplemented by a competition between men and women. A simple point system is in place for each challenge between men and women. By the end of the episode, the myths will have been addressed for each of the categories, and a team

(males/females) will win the overall competition based off of total points earned. We have provided a table outlining each of the challenges. This table reviews approximate costs, time, and any associated risks.

Challenge

Cost

Time Risk (Approximate ) None 100 min

Multitaski ng

Have all necessary Materials

Following $500-700 Instructio ns Memory Ability Have all necessary Materials Have all necessary Materials

3.5 hours

There is potential risk when using cooking/construction tools None

50 min

Reaction Time

None 50 min

Table 2

Proposed experiments
1. Multitasking The Battle of the Sexes Part II begins with testing a common belief that a woman can multitask better than a man. This myth may have originated from housewives constantly multitasking by doing such things as laundering, caring for children, cooking, talking, and cleaning simultaneously. In a recent news article, scientists believe that (testing) results show that

females are better able to reflect upon a problem, while continuing to juggle their other commitments, than men [1]. The phrase women are better at multitasking gets thrown around all the time in casual conversation, so it needs to be put to the test. Materials Needed Podcast involving a story complete with about 15 major details MP3 player with headphones for the podcast 100 piece puzzle Buzzer with cable to computer that can measure response time Risks/Safety There is no risk involved in any of these tasks Time 10 minutes are allotted per person for this test. Roughly 100 minutes should be set-aside for all 10 contestants to perform the tests. The myth will be tested by giving each participant a list of tasks to be done within a given a 10-minute time frame. The tasks are as listed below. Listen to an audiotape A ten-minute audiotape will be played for each participant to listen to. After the 10-minute period, each participant will attempt to describe as many key facts from the tape as possible. The team with the most total correct key facts from the audiotape story will earn one point for their team. Put a small 100 piece puzzle together Have each candidate attempt to assemble a 100-piece puzzle during the 10minute time period. The puzzle will be too complex to be able to finish in the ten-minute time frame, so the winner will be the contestant with the highest level of completion. This contestant will earn a point for winning this challenge. Hit a buzzer the moment it makes a sound During the 10 minutes of this challenge, a buzzer will go off randomly 20 times. The contestant will have to strike a buzzer every time it goes off. The time between every signaling and every strike will be compiled into an overall time for each team. The team with the lowest overall time will receive one point. The winning sex will be determined through a point system. The team that performs better at each task receives the full point for that task. After the

tests conclude, the points for multitasking will be tallied and the winning team announced. Possible error: Although it is easy enough to measure one aspect of the challenge alone, how will one score measure the combination of all three tasks? Having peers present while performing each task could lead to encouragement or pressure affecting the contestants performance in a positively or negatively. 2. Following Instructions To men, reading instructions is a huge waste of time [3] There has always been a long-standing myth that men have a tough time following instructions, supposedly due to their self-induced knowledge of craftsmanship, which tends to overpower their ability to read the instructions. This contest will be testing the myth of a mans ability to follow instructions against a womans ability to follow the same set of instructions.

Materials Needed A full assembly set for a Do It Yourself office desk including instructions and tools Access to a fully built replica of the office desk or photos from all angles of it Access to a kitchen, baking tools and baking ingredients for a souffl Professional chef for judging the souffls made Risks/Safety Tools used to build the office desk can be considered dangerous if not handled with care Kitchen supplies and ovens can also be a risk to people unfamiliar with them Time Constructing the desk should take about two hours to complete Cooking the souffl should take at most an hour and a half The testing of this myth will consist of testing two sets of instructions for each team. The tasks are as listed below. Constructing an office desk

Each team will assemble a Do It Yourself office desk based off of a set of instructions within 2 hours. The contest will be judged by how accurate the desk was put together and compared to the stores model desk built correctly. The accuracy of the desk will be judged based on how level the top of the desk is, how aligned all the legs are, and whether the desk was assembled correctly. The results can be assessed quantitatively by determining what percent difference there is in the level of the desk and the horizontal level. The team with the best aligned, most correctly built desk will receive one point. Baking a souffl Each team will have an hour and a half to bake a souffl based off of a recipe from a local chef. The chef who provided the recipe will come and judge both of the souffls created. A judging form, with a rating scale from one to five based on several criteria, such as the following will be used with the highest scoring team getting a point:

Criterion Appearanc e Taste Similarity To Example

(Worst) 1 2

Rating 3 4

(Best) 5

1 1

2 2

3 3

4 4

5 5

Possible error: Every category for judging the baking a souffl contest is subjective based on the perspective of the chef doing the tasting.

How will a single score be awarded for the constructing of an office desk challenge? How will quantitative (angle of incorrectness) and qualitative (correct assembly) data be combined? The time taken to perform these tasks would be tough to fit in one 30 minute episode 3. Memory Science Daily reports results (that) suggest females currently hold the advantage in episodic memory [2].The battle between men and women continues with the determination of who has the best memory. The myth of which gender has the best memory can be answered by a few simple challenges. The background for this myth may come from women accusing men of not remembering important events such as anniversaries, birthdays, or plans. Materials Original photograph and an altered version of the same photograph with 10 differences 32 pairs of assorted images Pen and Paper 12 pairs photographs of assorted people Risks/ Safety There are not any risks for these simple memory-testing techniques. Time The time involved with each of these quizzes will range from 1-5 minutes depending on the person taking the quiz. Therefore if 10 people participate, the time necessary should be approximately 50 minutes. The following four tests can be completed to see which sex has the better memory: Spot the Differences Test In this test, the participant will be given a photograph that they will be allowed to study for two minutes. At the end of the two minutes, the photograph will be taken away and he or she will be given an altered version of the same photograph with 10 new differences and the participant will have unlimited time to write down all the differences they can spot. Noting a

correct difference is worth one point and writing down a difference that does not actually exist is worth negative one point. The higher the score at the end of the trial, the better the memory. Card Matching Test For this test, 32 pairs of assorted cards with images are laid out into an eight by eight grid, face-up, and the participant is given 30 seconds to memorize the locations of all the pairs. After the 30 seconds are over, the cards are flipped faced-down. Then, the participant must match all the pairs, only flipping two cards over at a time. If the participant does not flip over two cards that match, he or she must return them both face down before continuation of the test may occur. The time required for the participant to match all the pairs is recorded. In this test, the results will be measured in units of time with one point awarded to the team with the lowest total time. Auditory Memory Test The auditory memory test involves nothing more than a pen and paper for the participant. A list of 20 random nouns is slowly read aloud to the participant. Once all the words have been listed, the participant has an unlimited amount of time to write down as many of the words that were recited. The same list of nouns will be read separately to each contestant. The team with the most total words remembered will receive one point in the competition.

Name Matching Test A test similar to the Auditory Test, each participant is given 12 photographs of assorted persons with their last name written on the bottom of the photograph. The participant will have 30 seconds to study the photographs. Once the time is over, the photographs will be taken away and the participant will be given the same set of photographs without last names at the bottom. The participant will have as much time as they want to attempt to fill in the last name of the person on the photograph. The team with the highest total number of names remembered will receive one point.

The results of the four tests can be used to determine which sex has the better memory. The overall determination will be made by comparing points earned and measuring the level of difference of the scores for each challenge Possible error: When performing the Card Matching Test, the contestants hand eye coordination and card flipping speed could skew results when testing for solely for memory ability. Some contestants perform poorly on a task because they are tired from the tasks beforehand. This is technically measuring focus and endurance as well as memory, which are confounding. 4. Reaction Time The final criterion to be tested in the Battle of the Sexes myth is reaction time, which will be measured as the time it takes someone to react to a visual or auditory cue. In a study at Clemson University regarding reaction times, it was found that males have faster reaction times than females [4]. In this set of challenges, reaction time to various signals will be measured and compared for men and women. Materials One meter stick Voice recording program Video recorder Risks/ Safety There are no significant risks for the participants of the following reaction time tests. Time The amount of time for each test will vary from one to two minutes of testing and a few minutes of calculating the test results. Overall, this should take about 50 minutes. The following three tests can be employed to determine which sex can react the fastest: Meter Stick Test For this test, the participant will stand in front of a suspended meter stick with his or her fingers opened a fixed distance around the 0 cm mark. At any given moment, the meter stick is dropped and the participant will have to catch the meter stick between their fingers before the meter stick hits the

ground. The centimeter mark at which the participants fingers are located when they catch the meter stick is the score they receive for the test. The test is to be done 5 times per participant and their score averaged. The team with the lower average distance grabbed on the stick will receive one point for winning this challenge. Auditory Word Test In this test, the participant is recorded on a tape recorder, listening as the test-giver recites a list of words in quick succession. The participant is specifically listening for one specific word to be spoken. The participant will say, stop aloud when he or she hears the cue word. The audio recording is examined to determine the amount of time between when the word was spoken and when stop was said out loud by the participant. Each test will contain the specific word five times and the reaction times from the test will be averaged. The team with the shorter average stop time will win one point. Visual Reaction Time Test For the third reaction time test, the participant is to be recorded on video as a he or she watches a slideshow of successive images, looking for a predetermined image as a cue. The images change every 0.5 seconds, and the participant must raise their hand once they see the image appear on the screen. The predetermined image will show up five times throughout the test. Once the test is completed, the video can be analyzed to determine the length of time between when the image was shown and when the participant raised their hand. The team with the fastest average reaction time will be awarded one point. The results of the three tests can be used to determine which sex has the better reaction time. Averaging the scores of each test by gender and comparing the two genders' averages, the tests can fairly accurately determine if there is a bias towards one sex overall or if each sex dominates in different types of reaction tests.

Possible Error: In the Visual Reaction Test, the time for a contestant to raise his or her hand as well as attempting to measure this time will lead to inaccuracies in data collection. A device that precisely and randomly drops the meter stick is required in the meter stick test. Results and Conclusions The Battle of the Sexes Part II Episode is being recommended because it provides a chance to bust prominent gender myths while providing a high level of entertainment value. The myths presented were each chosen because they have enough believability to possibly be true, but leave the audience unsure. The episode presented will have a systematic approach starting by 1) providing context and background for the myth, 2) explicitly stating the myth, 3) attempting to bust the myth, and 4) focusing on the competitive aspect of the show. The competitive nature of this Battle of the Sexes episode could be thought to affect the validity of the results from testing. Since the thrill of competing may influence one team more than another, a new unwanted variable may be introduced. Alternatively, the positive aspect to a competition format is that it helps push the contestants to full participation by the contestants. This inclusive competition will also allow viewers to feel as if they are a part of their represented team, and it gives the viewers a reason to root for the team of their gender. To get the most thorough unbiased results, the science and engineering team recommends having each participant participate in all the testing methods provided. Auditory, visual, and sensory tests for each myth will provide data comprising of different aspects of each myth, which is important to consider. The contrary argument to this point is that the time limit of the show only allows for a certain amount of material to be presented. In order to fit the thirty-minute time limit, some of the testing procedures or challenges can be cut. For example, the Following Instructions challenge requires more filming time, a higher cost, and potential risks for the contestants that the other challenges that could be avoided. If Following

Instructions was edited out of the show, more focus could be put on the presenting the other three challenges. During the analysis of results portion of the show, each myth can fall under one of three separate categories, which include busted, plausible, or verified. The data recorded will be calculated with statistics to determine if indeed a significant difference exists between the skill levels of men women in each category. Hypothesis testing using statistics can be preformed to determine whether the differences are significant. Once tabulated, each myth will be verified, proven wrong, or left without enough data to determine either. Other Options considered, but not chosen for Presentation A second presentation option considered was taking the competitive aspect out of the show. Instead of having head to head team based competition, the men would be isolated from the women during testing. This could lead to more correct results by eliminating the confounding variable that direct competition brings out. For example, this method would negate the variable that men might perform better than women because they like to compete more. At the end of the show results would be compared between men and women, in more of a straightforward way than competition. Another option considered for the presentation of this myth is to have a blind test by isolating each contestant from the others. The contestants would not be informed about the Battle of the Sexes episode. This method could result in more objective results because fewer outside variables would influence the participants.

Recommendations The science and engineering team highly recommends the competition format of The Battle of the Sexes Part II episode to be aired. Providing accurate results is of utmost importance to us as well as Mythbusters. For this reason, we recommend filming each of the four myths presented in Table 1. The viewing audience will be engaged in watching the episode for both the accurate results to the myths being presented and the exciting competition between men and women. Overall, this episode would provide valid results to believable myths and add a new dynamic to Mythbusters based off of the competition aspect of the episode.

Sources: [1] Richard Gray (2010).Scientists prove that women are better at multitasking than men [Online]. Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/7896385/Scientistsprove-that-women-are-better-at-multitasking-than-men.html [2] Everyday Events. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 6, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com-/releases/2008/02/080220104244.htm [3] Marsha Goff (2006). Real men dont read instructions [Online]. Available: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/aug/13/real_men_dont_read_instructi ons/ [4] Robert J. Kosinski (2012). A Literature Review on Reaction Time[Online]. Available: http://biae.clemson.edu/bpc/bp/lab/110/reaction.htm#Gender [5] Mythbusters. Discovery. Retrieved March 6, 2013, from http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/2012-episodes15.htm [6] Mythbusters. TV.COM. Retrieved March 6, 2013, from http://www.tv.com/shows/mythbusters/battle-of-the-sexes-2438194/