Senior Max Lawrence sat in front of his C period AP Psychology class on Monday wrapped in a towel preparing for a unique experiment. Mrs. Gagnon stood waiting with a spray bottle, ready to soak Lawrence. The experiment began with a jingle “You are awesome” followed by water splashed all over Lawrence’s face.

The purpose of the experiment was to test human reactions to a repeating stimulus and observe changes and patterns in anticipation. Gagnon repeatedly played the jingle and sprayed Lawrence’s face with water.

The sounds from the jingle acted as a stimulus allowing Lawrence to know when the spray was coming. Before each spray, Lawrence changed facial expressions, squinting his eyes more and more, anticipating the water. At the end of the experiment, the class had witnessed how repeating stimuli create greater and greater anticipation.

For students interested in taking psychology class, check out the course description in the Program of Studies found here.