Experiment Une: At Peace with Peas
In the course of a brainstorming session today, Shristy had brought some roasted chickpeas and peas. After my mind got too dazed to continue (it was so full that it felt like the content of this blog), I started to let it wander. Then I came up with this ingenious idea of contributing negatively to the group's performance by conjuring up an experiment which will directly deter the attention of the group members.
Anjani had deliberately sat farthest from the roasties, so as to not let her hands reach them; she asserted that she couldn't stop putting one after the other peas in her mouth- and too much peas would give her stomach pains. So I suddenly got hit by Curiosity- I wondered what if I tested her claim; or more accurately, I wanted to find out whether the distance would really affect her desire to consume those peas?
So I started putting individual peas on the desk (one at a time) at strategic points, each at different distances from her. As and when required, I would try to garner her attention to the lone peas by shifting their positions slightly, so that her eyes would register the change in the surroundings as a stimulus.
Observation and Findings
She would involuntarily grab the pea and put it in her mouth whenever the pea was placed at a distance less than or equal to her arm's length.
Even if she acknowledged the presence of the lone peas placed at distances greater than the arm's length, she would choose not to reach out and grab them.
Conclusion
The hypothesis, as stated by Anjani, is proved empirically true from this exercise. Anjani does indeed desire to pop the peas in her mouth if they are placed at a distance of or less than, an arm's length from her.
The Hawthorne Effect *
In my experiment, the Hawthorne Effect set in after Anjani registered my sniggers as jokes directed her way, after which, she was unable to dedicate full attention and concentration on the brainstormings and designing of the questionnare.
* Elton Mayo had demonstrated in a research project in around 1930s that individual behaviors may be altered when they know they are being studied, at the Hawthorne Plant of the Western Electric Company in Illinois.
Other Side Effects
Anjani had an upset stomach.
Further Research
The next step is to repeat the experiment replacing Peas, as logical steps, with Cues, and then with Ares.
To further delve into her psychological makeup, a series of experiments should be carried out, with the experimental settings all identical except for the fact that the peas should be made harder to get. For instance, the peas should be implanted with a miniscule motor and a touch sensor. The idea is to make the peas shoot away, as her hands try to reach them, to a new position that is just out of reach.
Anjani had deliberately sat farthest from the roasties, so as to not let her hands reach them; she asserted that she couldn't stop putting one after the other peas in her mouth- and too much peas would give her stomach pains. So I suddenly got hit by Curiosity- I wondered what if I tested her claim; or more accurately, I wanted to find out whether the distance would really affect her desire to consume those peas?
So I started putting individual peas on the desk (one at a time) at strategic points, each at different distances from her. As and when required, I would try to garner her attention to the lone peas by shifting their positions slightly, so that her eyes would register the change in the surroundings as a stimulus.
Observation and Findings
She would involuntarily grab the pea and put it in her mouth whenever the pea was placed at a distance less than or equal to her arm's length.
Even if she acknowledged the presence of the lone peas placed at distances greater than the arm's length, she would choose not to reach out and grab them.
Conclusion
The hypothesis, as stated by Anjani, is proved empirically true from this exercise. Anjani does indeed desire to pop the peas in her mouth if they are placed at a distance of or less than, an arm's length from her.
The Hawthorne Effect *
In my experiment, the Hawthorne Effect set in after Anjani registered my sniggers as jokes directed her way, after which, she was unable to dedicate full attention and concentration on the brainstormings and designing of the questionnare.
* Elton Mayo had demonstrated in a research project in around 1930s that individual behaviors may be altered when they know they are being studied, at the Hawthorne Plant of the Western Electric Company in Illinois.
Other Side Effects
Anjani had an upset stomach.
Further Research
The next step is to repeat the experiment replacing Peas, as logical steps, with Cues, and then with Ares.
To further delve into her psychological makeup, a series of experiments should be carried out, with the experimental settings all identical except for the fact that the peas should be made harder to get. For instance, the peas should be implanted with a miniscule motor and a touch sensor. The idea is to make the peas shoot away, as her hands try to reach them, to a new position that is just out of reach.
posted by Milan at 7:37 PM
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