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In Reply to: Re: The Scientific Method posted by Phil Tower on November 17, 2002 at 18:02:28:
If you hear something on a sighted test and you can't distinguish it reliably on a blind test, you're in a very interesting position. How do you explain it to yourself? Even if you thought you heard a large difference on the sighted test, you may very well be inclined to think that the difference wasn't so large and that in fact you were mistaken and it actually was small enough that you couldn't reliably distinguish it on the blind test. Would you want to shell out a lot of cash for the expensive cable in those circumstances? I think I would have reservations and I wouldn't criticise anyone who had doubts after such an experience. They are experimentting and listening and we each hear what we hear and make our own decisions on that. Even when we're basing our decision on what we consider are significant differences heard in a sighted test, we sometimes baulk at the cost differential between items. If you can have doubts there and decide on a cost benefit analysis to go with the item that costs less, why would you want to criticise the person in your example for not going with the expensive item?I admit that's added in another factor - price - to your scenario but I don't think it's an unreasonable factor to introduce since it's often a factor to be considered anyway and one can understand it carrying more weight for someone who had failed to distinguish the item on blind testing.
Follow Ups:
If you hear something on a sighted test and you can't distinguish it reliably on a blind test, you're in a very interesting position. How do you explain it to yourself?I think the thing most people do is dismiss one of the test results. And, I could be guessing, but human nature would lead us to dismiss the test result that we didn't like.
Your first sentence:
If you hear something on a sighted test and you can't distinguish it reliably on a blind test, you're in a very interesting position. How do you explain it to yourself?Why do you have to explain it? Explaining it is when one gets into trouble.
If you like it, it's all about satisfaction. Be satisfied. Life is too short.
When you have to do science it's different, but most of us don't do science for our home listening satisfaction, I think.
I think it would be rather disconceting to find that you couldn't reliably pick something in a test which you thought was extremely audible under what you regarded as "normal" conditions. That would definitely give me an itch I'd want to scratch, at least for a while.You're right about satisfaction and the brevity of life, however. I'm sure I could find satisfaction with something :-)
HowdyDoesn't it depend on the test?
My tendency is to suspect the test, I've seen extremely few well set up tests and very many flawed ones with unsupportable extrapolations.
Assuming that the testee is confused, disingenuous or self deluded and assuming the test is flawed or misinterpreted are both similar real possibilities until we get concrete about a specific test... Otherwise we are just discussing how many angels fit on the head of a pin.
it could shake up my confidence in my own infallibility. I usually recover from that by pointing out to anyone who has observed it that I really am God and infallible, and that I only make mistakes deliberately so that people won't catch on. Lately however, the scepticism with which this explanation is usually greeted has been eroding my confidence and I think my wife is slipping some sort of medication into my morning coffee as well. I also think I overhear her and our son talking about asylums occasionally. I haven't the heart to tell her I frequent one regularly or to discuss what goes on here with her. :-)
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