In a message dated 1/21/99 8:05:31 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > <Warning: Digression ahead!> > > How many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a > tootsie pop? Which, of course, is an empirical question. What an idea > for a methods class! There could be discussion of lack of experimental > control if participants were allowed to lick the tootsie pop however > they want -- if some just licked one side, they would get to the center > faster. You'd have to throw out subjects who bit into it. How do you > operationally define a "lick"? -- Sheesh! It must be *early*. This has > all the earmarks of a "3 a.m. idea" -- it sounds good now, but once I > come fully awake I know it's going to sound ridiculous. > While traveling in caravan with over 20 vans full of adolescents on a performance tour last summer <A HREF="http://www.mich.com/~mrandall/pfdc_home.html">(P</A> <A HREF="http://www.mich.com/~mrandall/pfdc_home.html">lymouth Fife & Drum Corps)</A>, a similar 'experiment' actually played itself out. . . To keep the kids busy during our long drive back to Michigan from the East coast, every corps member was given a tootsie pop and told that the last person to have hard candy remaining on the tootsie would be in store for a major surprise. One rule: the tootsie pop must stay in the mouth. . . Us adults thought we might have some peace and quiet after a long week on the road with this energetic bunch. Instead, after about 10 minutes of relative quiet, a lengthy, interesting, and fun discussion ensued via CB radio about the various factors that could affect the dissolution of the hard candy. . . rate of salivation, amount of amylase in saliva, composition of hard candy, ability to control autonomic function, size of buccal cavity on comfort level, need for comfort level, level of oral 'fixation' (for the psychoanalysts), need to communicate verbally (e.g., extraversion vs introversion, etc.), motivational issues, and on and on and on . . . (this tends to be an obsessive-compulsive group, young and older !). It was really a good time for all and I think a great learning experience. The kids still joke about it. ************************************************************* Sandra Nagel Randall, Ph.D. Wayne County Community College District, MI Human and Community Development - Psychology Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada Biopsychology Consultant 22265 Carleton Ave. Southfield, MI 48034 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Off: 248-948-8162 Fax: 248-948-5090 <A HREF="http://members.aol.com/snrandall">http://members.aol.com/snrandall </A>
