4 ms·
This is a lovely post and good general demonstration on this phenomenon. The drug charging graph is particularly stark. I think the most interesting graph is t
by aeturnum 7y ago
This is a lovely post and good general demonstration on this phenomenon. The drug charging graph is particularly stark.
I think the most interesting graph is the final one, for marathon finishing times. The idea that people will fudge numbers to meet (or avoid) official definitions is commonly believed (and shown repeatedly here). It's more interesting to observe that it's not just people using motivated reasoning, but also that people will alter their performance to hit highly visible targets.
- Wehrdo 7y agoI think another factor for the marathon finishing time discontinuities is the use of pacers --- people who run carrying signs at a pre-defined speed (usually targeting a specific finishing time, e.g. 3:15). Lots of people who have finishing goals will run in a pack with this person so they know they're going fast enough, then will all finish just under the target time.