Misconceptions About Incline Speed for Nonlinear Slopes
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-2002
Keywords
nonlinear slopes, incline speed, speed perception
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-1523.28.4.963
Abstract
In 3 experiments, college students provided qualitative predictions about a marble's speed along nonlinear inclines. When predicting the outcome of a race between identical marbles along differently shaped ramps, most students predicted incorrectly that the shorter path was necessarily quicker (the shorter-quicker belief). When comparing instantaneous speed at 2 points, most students predicted incorrectly that incline speed depended on the slope at that point (the slope-speed belief). A final experiment provides evidence that the slope-speed belief reflects a deeper fallacy regarding the resistance encountered while traversing inclines and lifting objects. This fallacy also predicts the prevalent belief that heavier objects fall faster than lighter objects during incline descent or free fall.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, v. 28, issue 4, p. 963-973
Scholar Commons Citation
Rohrer, Doug, "Misconceptions About Incline Speed for Nonlinear Slopes" (2002). Psychology Faculty Publications. 1777.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/psy_facpub/1777
