Experiment anyone?

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Reply Fri 22 May, 2009 08:24 pm
I have been pondering some pretty cool ideas regarding experimentation into a humans perception of reality. If anyone else out there has any ideas please post.

Temperature variation. A person is taken from one climate and told is entering another climate. Everyone in the experimental climate is wearing shorts, tshirts and sundresses. The temperature is actually 32 +/-degrees in the controlled enviornment. The issue with this experiment is that the subject would have to believe he or she is actually in the warmer climate so extremely grand measures would have to take place to give the illusion of authenticity. Would the person be cold or not even notice the difference?
 
Krumple
 
Reply Fri 22 May, 2009 08:52 pm
@Lost phil,
It really depends on how you conduct the experiment.

If you use a group, well many people construct their responses based off observation of other behavior.

So you would want to have them individually subjected to the change in temperature.

Also are you withholding any of their senses? Some times visual cues can give away environments of varying temperatures which will psychologically effect their response to the environment.

For instance you could simulate the cloud effect of a cold room like a walk cooler/freezer in a room that was 70 degrees F. I bet you'll get some people asking for a jacket when they see the clouds of simulate cold air.

I think you will have to be very clever in just how you arrange such an experiment or the results you get will not reflect honestly that reality.
 
Extra Gravy
 
Reply Fri 12 Jun, 2009 07:41 am
@Lost phil,
I suggest using metal for chairs and any surfaces participants might touch. Metal has a higher thermal conductivity and may lead participants to feel hotter or colder than expected. I also suggest keeping an active breeze in the room which will also make participants feel hotter or colder than may necessarily be the case.

Also, since temperature detection is relative to our core body temperature you might be able to manipulate reaction by depressing or elevating participant body temperature before they enter the testing area. At the very least you may want to test and stabilize body temperature for the control group.
 
 

 
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