Comment by edw519 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by edw519 | Hacker News Reader

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Care to explain why the test or metric is subjective or questionable

OK, let's start with the fact that OP never defines "willpower", whatever that is and for which each of us probably has a different definition. This alone places all further study on a solid foundation of quicksand. Then, OP never explains the applicability or purpose or reciting color words in different colors.

why you are qualified

You mean any more than an "associate professor of kinesiology". I hold my years of experience completing projects in the trenches against her psych lab any day.

refrain with your indignant declamations

Not "indignant declamations" (whatever that means), just my opinion. Are you suggesting that people with opinions should refrain from expressing them in a discussion forum?

Honestly, if this was a wiki, this study would fail horribly in the "citing needed" test. And if it was in physics, biology, or any hard science, it would be laughed off the board. Are you suggesting that since it's psychology related, it deserves a free pass?

It took a lot of willpower to refrain from responding to your reply, but I had none left. Oooh, maybe OP is onto something after all.

"Cognitive tasks, as well as emotional tasks such as regulating your emotions, can deplete your self-regulatory capacity to exercise,"

A distinction made more clear by the non-blogspam linked in the comments here, but perfectly evident in the words of the lead author.

I hold my years of experience completing projects in the trenches against her psych lab any day.

"This is science?"

just my opinion

If your opinion is that science isn't science until it satisfies your intuition, it's not wanted.

It's obvious to anyone with two brain cells to rub together that the blogspam of a press release isn't going to have the citations of a study. I don't suggest psychology gets away without citations, but a cursory knowledge of the field would let you know the Stroop test is science, and that an examination of the actual study, should you care to put any effort into something other than your denigrations, would inform you that your flippancy is unfounded.

OK, let's start with the fact that OP never defines "willpower", whatever that is and for which each of us probably has a different definition.

The researcher in question studies kinesiology, in other words, exercise and physical health. It's pretty clear that in this context, "willpower" meant "ability to follow through on an exercise regimen".

Then, OP never explains the applicability or purpose or reciting color words in different colors.

It's called the Stroop Task, as was already pointed out, and has been well known for decades as an incredibly useful tool in psychological research. It's mentally taxing and fairly resistant to performance improvement from practice or preparation. This is basic knowledge in the field.

The Stroop Task is usually employed to measure impairment of higher cognitive functions, but in this case is being used to deliberately overtax those cognitive functions (which presumably include willpower).

You mean any more than an "associate professor of kinesiology". I hold my years of experience completing projects in the trenches against her psych lab any day.

Yes, more qualified than a scientist with years of training and multiple publications in a specialized field that you have demonstrated absolutely no knowledge of. Your years of experience "in the trenches" are completely irrelevant.

I am endeavoring to be polite here, but I'm frankly baffled by the sheer arrogance on display.

Not "indignant declamations" (whatever that means),

It means exactly what it says, despite your snide commentary.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/indignant http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/declamation

just my opinion. Are you suggesting that people with opinions should refrain from expressing them in a discussion forum?

The suggestion is perhaps that people with uninformed opinions should refrain from expressing them with smug self-satisfaction or, failing that, at least have the courtesy to do so on a site such as Digg where that behavior is the convention.

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