AtomBoy
100+ Head-Fier
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- Apr 22, 2005
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There's an interesting article here on Science Daily about expectation affecting perception. The jist of it is that things tend to be like what you expect them to be like. The study used taste, but I believe you could easily substitute the sonics of silver vs copper wire for the taste of sugar and quinine.
If you want to prove to yourself how hard your brain works to create reality for you, try to find your blind spot.(.pdf)
From this and other reading its clear to me that the effect of expectation happens not in the conscious brain, but in the mechanical/ pre-processing parts of the brain. We're not lying to ourselves- that cool looking volume knob really does make it sound better. Or we are lying to ourselves, but the lie happens so far before our consciousness that it may as well be real.
I think it would be useful and valid to examine our prejudices and preconceptions and incorporate them into our audio projects. I like stuff that has a certain home-made/ 30's/ mad scientist look to it. Sure enough my low buck, point to point Millett done on a slab of al plate with cheap parts and screws everywhere sounds better than my high buck/ sanitary on the pc board version- to me- in my head.
If you want to prove to yourself how hard your brain works to create reality for you, try to find your blind spot.(.pdf)
From this and other reading its clear to me that the effect of expectation happens not in the conscious brain, but in the mechanical/ pre-processing parts of the brain. We're not lying to ourselves- that cool looking volume knob really does make it sound better. Or we are lying to ourselves, but the lie happens so far before our consciousness that it may as well be real.
I think it would be useful and valid to examine our prejudices and preconceptions and incorporate them into our audio projects. I like stuff that has a certain home-made/ 30's/ mad scientist look to it. Sure enough my low buck, point to point Millett done on a slab of al plate with cheap parts and screws everywhere sounds better than my high buck/ sanitary on the pc board version- to me- in my head.