Experiments to Run

Experimentation at Thwink.org uses the standard solution factory process of the life cycle of an experiment. This has a number of steps that guide the analytical activist from the birth of a new idea that might help to solve the problem all the way to using that idea to actually solve the problem. The steps are:

1. Select the hypothesis to test.
2. Design the experiment.
3. Create the experiment. This is writing it up and preliminary testing.
4. Run the experiment.
5. Interpret the results.
6. Write up the results, whether the hypothesis was proved true or false.
7. Publish the results: paper, internet, video, chapter in AA book.
8. If extremely promising, scale it up to actual solution elements via next experiment. This requires iteration through steps 1 through 7.

This process is in its infancy. It will be continuously improved as we go. Good solution factories, like good solutions to difficult problems, evolve.

The backlog of experiments to run has been developed from the list of hypotheses to test. Thus the list of experiments to run is organized by hypothesis. Each hypothesis(s) is followed by the experiments to test it.

These social experiments are all on small groups of people and employ an experimental group and a control group unless described otherwise.

Hypothesis 1

Even a very brief exposure to the Truth Test can raise a person's ability to detect political deception.

The First Experiment - The Brief Introduction to the Truth Test Experiment - This is a 5 page handout testing a single factor: whether or not a brief one page introduction to the Truth Test makes a difference. Subjects read actual political statements and then respond via multiple choice questions about how they feel about the politicians who made the statements.

Discussion

So far this is the only experiment we have developed. Some future ideas are:

The Group Leader Election Truth Test Experiment - A group elects a leader from two opposing candidates. Unknown to the group, the two candidates are plants. One uses a prewritten virtuous argument. The other uses a prewritten corrupt argument, which has subtle fallacies and unsound general reasoning. The independent variable is the experimental groups are educated beforehand on how to use the full Truth Test, while the control groups are not.

The Group Leader Election Corruption Ratings Experiment - Same as above, except the independent variable is that after the two candidates make their pitch, a written corruption rating of each candidate is passed out. The ratings are fully explained, so that the subjects have much more to go on than just a percent corrupt.

The Group Leader Election Truth Test and Corruption Ratings Experiment - Same as above, except the independent variable is experimental groups get exposure to the Truth Test and Corruption Ratings, while the control groups do not.