Good news, everyone! I don’t have an aging hulk of a CRT television in my living room anymore. No, I have a high definition television, thanks to the power of my mind. At least, that’s what a recent study tells me will happen if I wish hard enough.

Two groups of 30 people watched the same video clip, individually, on the same television. Half were told to expect a better experience thanks to HD technology, an impression backed up by posters, flyers and an extra-thick cable connected to the screen. The other half were told to expect a normal DVD signal.

Guess which group reported a clearer, crisper viewing experience, though they were watching the same clip on the same equipment? Yep, that’d be the group told to expect high-definition video.

We presume it’s only a matter of time before this study makes its way into the Best Buy sales staff training manuals.

Think yourself a sharper TV picture [New Scientist] (Thanks, Ron!)
The emperor’s clothes in high resolution: An experimental study of the framing effect and the diffusion of HDTV [ACM]

(Photo: satinpeter)

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