f.e.a.r.

Hypothesized reactions:

confused, surprised

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What is FEAR?

Fear is one of the most powerful emotions people ever experience. It's instinctual, it triggers our self-preservation and survival instincts.

Some people get a total rush from it, while others, like myself, are much more cautious and get freaked out easily by the things we are afraid of. I enjoy getting a rush sometimes, but only when i'm in a safe, controlled, and familiar environment. I get most of my adventures and adrenaline rushes from playing videogames and reading novels. Letting go of that "safety net" is so much harder for those of us who are always analyzing the potential outcomes and consequences of our actions. I always want to do things the right way and avoid making mistakes that could mess up my goals. I am one of those dreaded perfectionists.

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Description of experiment:

For my experiment I worked on facing my fear of not being in control.

I am a perfectionist, a control freak, and i have problems trusting other people.

My experiment was inspired by a performance done on the TV show Dancing With the Stars a few seasons ago where Marie Osmond and her dance partner performed a routine where she was essentially a doll being moved around the dance floor by her partner.

I did the first round of my experiment with my boyfriend. We haven't been dating very long, so I decided this would be an interesting experiment to help us build up trust. We started out with a few "catches" where i literally allowed my body to go limp and fell backward to have him catch me. Then, in a standing position, i let him move my arms, legs, and head around into different positions, kind of like a mannequin in a department store.

Observe the reaction:

When I performed the experiment in class, i wasn't quite sure how everyone would react. But i think they were more engaged in what i was doing because they had to guess what my fear was. They seemed to find it amusing, like a game.

Analysis of hypothesis with actual outcome:

At first i figured they would be confused, a) because my fear is not necessarily one that most people realize is a fear, and b) because most people probably wouldn't let someone they don't know very well move their body around. Some people did seem a little surprised by my fear, but I think the way i presented it made my fear amusing.

Proposed changes to your idea:

I was actually quite pleased with the results. I think the fact that people found my experiment amusing (and the fact that I myself found it amusing) has helped me take another step toward overcoming that fear. If i were to change anything about the experiment, I might make it a little more in depth, a little more complex somehow. Doing something bolder, like skydiving, where i'm free-falling in the air would really put me out of my element. But I know i'm still not ready for such a step right now.