Electric Shocks Preferred to Thinking (Especially by Men)

"The most startling finding was that people would voluntarily give themselves electric shocks rather than just sit with their thoughts for 15 minutes."

No, all that this researcher knows is that her test subjects shocked themselves whilst sitting alone in a room, not that they shocked themselves in lieu of 'just sitting with their thoughts for 15 minutes.'

This isn't bonafide research; no, it's just so much bullshit trying to pass itself off as 'science.'

I don't know that I'd call it bad science. In fact the researcher didn't come to that conclusion, the reporter did. That quoted sentence sums up the reporter's take, incorrect though it may be.

The researcher talked more about boredom and working toward goals. I have to agree when I've chosen my goal and I'm working toward it, I'm happy. When I'm waiting, with the only goal being getting to the end of the waiting period, I'm pretty miserable.

In fact the researcher didn't come to that conclusion, the reporter did. That quoted sentence sums up the reporter's take, incorrect though it may be.

Not much from the reporter then,..... but typical of todays journalism.... if its still called that.

How does one "not think thoughts" even whilst sitting there, bored, and shocking oneself? Truly! Unless one is totally comatose, how can one not be thinking about *something,* even if it's "I'm bored, I think I'll shock myself and reflect on the sensation it causes."

Yes, the reporter got it wrong and yes, the study's conclusions are bollocks.

I think the researcher's conclusion that sitting quietly with just your own thoughts is difficult is spot on - especially when there is an alternative activity like getting a mild electric shock available. I have always had difficulty sitting still without concentrating on doing so.

And I like the idea that the feeling of boredom is a (subconscious?) signal to change what you're doing, although as a parent I think I've known that for years becuase i always told the child "do something else then!".

Déjà vu:

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/96716#comment1030754

Whoa! Way back in July that was. Certainly no dearth of new(s) material Out There, is there?

Here, this should tide them over for awhile:

Natural born explorers....curious minds....seeking knowledge rather than content with status quo.....I don't see anything surprising here at all....other than that anybody would be surprised by the results....

Wow, 15 minutes to actually stop and think. For me it's nice sometimes to actually have the time to sit and plan, think, and problem solve rather than react to chaos much of the time.

Richard Feynman detested psychologists to his dying day and for good reason: crap like this trying to pass itself off as 'science.' Feynman would be roasting this 'study' over the coals were he alive today.

I wonder: maybe conduct a similar study that 'proves' that people who *enjoy* something in those 15 minutes - like a cup of coffee, maybe - don't think either: sip - think - sip - think ...

Breaking News: Study concludes people prefer drinking coffee to thinking - especially women.

Think that would make the front page?

"Think that would make the front page?"

No. The editors are having coffee right now.

They were having coffee when they posted this piece.

But doesn't all games have risks and consequences?