[Harp-L] comb test

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

A massive thanks to Brendan and Vern as well as Winslow and Michelle  
for the comb test at SPAH.  This sort of thing takes a lot of work  
and it's clear you were trying very hard to minimize variance and  
conduct an informal but repeatable test that could be analyzed and  
discussed.

It's a shame that some of the participants chose to scuttle the  
project rather than take part.  The conditions were known in advance,  
and if they had issues once they were there they should have simply  
backed out and allowed you to find others in their place.  What they  
did was dishonrable in the extreme.  Frankly, I think you should post  
their names--there is a good place for public rebukes and this is one  
of them.

But despite that, thanks again for this effort.  While the data is  
inconclusive (and was always going to be) I think the main thing  
shown is that people will identify difference even when there is  
none--notably no-one got the four brass combs all in a row right, or  
even all that close to their own scores.




JR Ross