Originally Posted by
Nate
I can't say I'm surprised... I've seen a bunch of studies of the effect framing has on people's estimates of some quantity.
Examples stats/econ/sociology professors use go something like this... write a number on the chalkboard (say, 75) then ask the class a question like what percentage of people prefer vanilla ice cream to chocolate (or how many gumballs are in the jar, or whatever--possibly with a prize for the closest answer). Then, ask another class the same question, but write 25 on the chalkboard first. Collect the two classes' estimates, average them out... the one that had 75 on the chalkboard is likely to have a higher average estimate than the one with 25. I've even read of the effect still holding if the number is randomly generated, and the class knows that it's randomly generated and has *nothing* to do with the question. (by rolling dice and writing the result on the board)
So, if known to be unrelated random numbers influence the way people estimate quantities, I can't say I'm shocked that holding an object makes you more likely to notice/think you notice an object. I would imagine that holding an apple would make you more likely to notice apples and to "classify objects in a scene" as apples.