For four hours yesterday...

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... I was the subject of research at Cambridge University. Another session booked for two week's time.

Some interesting questions and exercises, some boring stuff too, and being wired up to measure brain responses to sentence structure and groups of pictures. That took some real concentration, and was very hypnotic.


Anyone else volunteered for similar projects? Experiences?

I got bells paulsy and the doctors got a guy learning how to be a doctor and he asked me stuff like if it hurts.

ilikedragons-
I got bells paulsy and the doctors got a guy learning how to be a doctor and he asked me stuff like if it hurts.



What's that? and Emettman, what are you being tested/studied for?

I volunteered for an aspie brain-scanning study at London University. I had to do an eye-tracking experiment first so they could see whether I was suitable or not.

The brain-scanning bit measured my response to several pictures.

Afterwards I did some other tests. There were a few reasoning-type questions, general knowledge questions and questions testing my understanding of metaphors.

I was emailed a scan of my brain a few weeks later.

Nice!! You should colorize it, frame it, and hang it up in your room.

It was a study on communication, looking at "how people with autism understand words or pictures" It's looking to see if different handling of material results in better communication, and whether these changes help everyone, or just people with autism.

I surprised the researcher with my vocabulary, she surprised me with a couple of simple tasks I found almost impossible, including making up a story from a selection of objects.
"They're just objects, they don't have a story!" screamed my brain. "I can describe them for you, no trouble!"

oooh I would!

That would be cool!

Emmetman wrote:
I surprised the researcher with my vocabulary, she surprised me with a couple of simple tasks I found almost impossible, including making up a story from a selection of objects.



My son surprised the school psy. with his vocabulary, also. In addition to a well-developed vocabulary, he also uses unusual phrases like, "Mom, I would like a refreshing beverage and a tasty treat."
Researchers theorize that some autistic spectrum children learn word meanings for the first time, possibly from an adult or TV jingle, and that particular word or phrasing sticks. Sounds plausible to me.
When I was a kid, I was very particular about precision. If someone commented on my mother's green curtains, I would indignantly think "Those aren't just green, they're olive". And it would really bother me that they considered it plain, generic green. Couldn't they see that it's olive? I knew every shade of every color and used it appropriately. I also had a large vocabulary because many words are overused and not precise enough; too broad; open to much interpretation. I'm not so much like this today. I've trained myself not to be.
(sorry, I do get off track; one thought leads to another)

Lol, its interesting that they tested your story-telling ability.

(hopefully) relevant question for you emettman:
If (when) you form stories, do you find yourself able to 'invent' convincing imaginary characters, or do you find they are just developments on people you know? That is if indeed you tend to form stories.

I can write stories, fine. But ask me to invent one off the top of my head without giving me a head start (i.e., the beginning of the story) and I'll be hemming and hawing till they finally give up.

That sounds awesome. I'm very curious to see what my brain looks like, still-life and in-action.

:: sooooo jealous::

They tested different "seeing" and "telling" functions.

I wonder if what I mean by character comes across well: both my reading and my telling centres on the exploration of philosophies, the interplay of beliefs and cultures with situations.

I wouldn't dream of claiming the invention of convincing characters.

Half my face got paralyzed. I dont know if I spelled it right.