I'm a bit upset because I was fooled today

SexyGreyFox · 23 Oct 2012 at 21:49

I went along to a Manual Handling course this morning along with 11 other people and we were split into two groups.
There were 4 items on the table and we were asked to identify the one that was 7kg, 6kg, 5kg and 4 kg.
It just so happened that the small white box was the heaviest, followed by the second smallest box, then a bowl of water and then the lightest being a large flat pack containing a weight.
I had done the 'holding my arms out straight with the weight' trick to see how long I could hold each item and all 12 people agreed the order of weight.
The answer was a shock because all 4 items were 5kg each :eek:

I even stayed behind a bit holding the lightest & heaviest and they were definitely different but the scales in the room proved me wrong.

So what is the thought/science process behind this?

Sin_Chase · 23 Oct 2012 at 21:51

Easier to hold a heavier smaller item as you can keep it closer to your body. Things become harder to hold the further away the weight becomes from you so perhaps just the different format of the weights made it feel like one was heavier than the other due to the methods in which you held them?

Nitefly · 23 Oct 2012 at 21:52

Voodoo.

arknor · 23 Oct 2012 at 21:56

surely the perception of weight depends on how that weight is spread out?

5kg spread over a small area will apear lighter as your using less muscle/s to keep is steady?
5kg spread over a larger area will apear heavier as your using more muscles to hold it?

-Ad- · 23 Oct 2012 at 21:57

Sounds like a fun course

Cleeecooo · 23 Oct 2012 at 21:59

I did a similar thing

I was told it was mostly placebo and that your mind sees what it wants you to see

I forgot the name for it :/

EDIT: It was confirmation bias http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias

SmellyFingers · 23 Oct 2012 at 22:00

It wasn't a course it was candid TV, i look forward to seeing you on the tele, lmao!

Skidder · 23 Oct 2012 at 22:05

you work in the public sector don't you?

LordSplodge · 23 Oct 2012 at 22:06

Skidder said:
you work in the public sector don't you?

My Manual Handling slides were in Comic Sans. The Public Sector knows no bounds...

SexyGreyFox · 23 Oct 2012 at 22:09

Cleeecooo said:
EDIT: It was confirmation bias http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias

Thanks

Deleted member 77746 · 23 Oct 2012 at 22:13

Which is heavier a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers?

G|mp · 23 Oct 2012 at 22:14

mrbell1984 said:
Which is heavier a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers?

They both weigh exactly the same.

Tefal · 23 Oct 2012 at 22:14

G|mp said:
They both weigh exactly the same.

unless the feathers are on Jupiter!

Defy Belief · 23 Oct 2012 at 22:15

mrbell1984 said:
Which is heavier a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers?

Fooled many a people with that, the amount of people that say ' but bricks are heavier than feathers?!' :rolleyes:

Glaucus · 23 Oct 2012 at 22:17

Sin_Chase said:
Easier to hold a heavier smaller item as you can keep it closer to your body. Things become harder to hold the further away the weight becomes from you so perhaps just the different format of the weights made it feel like one was heavier than the other due to the methods in which you held them?

This, you aren't just measuring weight, when holding it out. Shape, size and balance is also important.

KatanaDV20 · 23 Oct 2012 at 22:19

"manual handling" We have to go through this trash - utter waste of time, such a wate waste waste of time!! I can sympathize!! Our trick is to show zero interest, the instructor thankfully susses that and accelerates the stupid lecture and we're otta there in 30 mins.

cm1179 · 23 Oct 2012 at 22:22

KatanaDV20 said:
"manual handling" We have to go through this trash - utter waste of time, such a wate waste waste of time!! I can sympathize!! Our trick is to show zero interest, the instructor thankfully susses that and accelerates the stupid lecture and we're otta there in 30 mins.

yeh until you put your back out, claim sick and your employer looks at your course tutor notes that read ''seemed uninterested and distracted. don't be surprised if he puts his back out.''

cm1179 · 23 Oct 2012 at 22:23

Defy Belief said:
Fooled many a people with that, the amount of people that say ' but bricks are heavier than feathers?!'

many a person under 7, i would hope?

Cleeecooo · 23 Oct 2012 at 22:23

KatanaDV20 said:
"manual handling" We have to go through this trash - utter waste of time, such a wate waste waste of time!! I can sympathize!! Our trick is to show zero interest, the instructor thankfully susses that and accelerates the stupid lecture and we're otta there in 30 mins.

Even better, just say you've done it before and tell them they're all the same weight

KatanaDV20 · 23 Oct 2012 at 22:30

cm1179 said:
yeh until you put your back out, claim sick and your employer looks at your course tutor notes that read ''seemed uninterested and distracted. don't be surprised if he puts his back out.''

I would agree to what you say if our work involved physical labour.

But it doesnt

We are office admin staff who spend our entire 40-hr week in front of computers. Our work just has a policy of blanketing EVERYONE with this manual handling trash-course :mad:

In case someone drops the kettle on their toes perhaps.

More bureaucratic horse___t we have to put up with!