"(…)Tourists at the Koorana Saltwater Crocodile Farm in Coowonga, Queensland, Australia, including 62 males and 41 females, aged 18–66 (M = 34.2, SD = 13.3), were randomly assigned to play a laptop-simulated Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) either: (1) prior to entry, or (2) after having held a 1-m saltwater-crocodile(…)"
The link and explanation, if you could call it that, is here.
Could be that when writing a research grant application the activity of testing arousal conditions and affective states on a Queensland nature reserve might seem more congenial than running the same tests at a dangerous traffic intersection opposite the Melbourne casino.
Or maybe the Australian government’s economic stimulus policies include a therapeutic project that involves transporting the country’s many problem gamblers (disguised as tourists to avoid stigma) to remote outposts a long way from casinos where cuddling crocodiles is a method of detox.
Fair enough, but if some participants declined to hold the crocodile (and I cannot imagine the researchers could force them to hold the crocs!), then you would have biased results.
Sorry to detour from subject but something else just happened in Australia which could interest your readers (especially those who enjoyed the ‘economic analysis of sainthood’ post yesterday):
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/celebrating-life-beyond-belief/story-e6frg6z6-1225840634149
It’s fun being a psychologist!
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