The wonder of magic : eliciting wonder and amazing its expression
Name
226232150-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
9.96 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
719a35db978df8addcd5d6b1f12822c0
Author(s)
Raphael, Seth
Advisor(s)
Rosalind W. Picard.
Date Issued
2007
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
The wonder that occurs while watching a good magic trick or admiring a gorgeous natural vista is a strong emotion that has not been well studied. Educators, media producers, entertainers, scientists and magicians could all benefit from a more robust understanding of wonder. This exploration proposes a theoretical model for this understanding. Additionally, an experiment was conducted to investigate how several variables affect how magic tricks are enjoyed. 'The experiment showed 70 subjects 10 videos of magic while recording their responses and reactions to the tricks. Some individuals were shown the explanations to the magic tricks to gauge their impact on enjoyment. The style of the presentation was varied between two groups to compare the effect of magic presented as a story to magic presented as a puzzle. It was discovered that presentation style has an effect on magic enthusiasts' enjoyment and that a storied presentation is associated with individuals being more generous towards a charity. Contrary to magician's beliefs, the explanations had the effect of making people more likely to want more magic later. Other general statistics about magic spectators are also quantified.
Description
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2007.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-115).
Subjects
Architecture. Program in Media Arts and Sciences.
MIT Department
Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
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copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but
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