What is the principle that states viewing a subject alters the subject or something like that? I can't remember all the statement and what it states exactly. So if anyone can tell me who said this and what the complete principle is I would appreciate it greatly.

 

Thanks

Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle?

No, that's not it.

 

I've never heard a name for it, it's always stated in a 'When you gaze into the abyss, etc' way.

Are you talking about wave function and particle function? Where every particle also has a wave of probabilities which, when observed, collapse back into a particle? Prior to observation, the particle could exist anywhere the wave function is not zero. Once observed, it is "changed" by becoming rooted to one spot.

 

Jakiri's right, I don't think that theory has a particular name. It's just part of quantum mechanics.

"Collapsing the wavefunction" perhaps?

It depends if it's QM or not. It's fairly likely to be the everyday version.

It's not so much observation as it is "interaction", right? As in, particles bumping into each other, not the physical act of me looking at it.

In QM, as I understand it, everything exists in both particle and wave states. When you look at something, you fix it in its particle state. We know that a wave of probability functions exists for every particle because we can see evidence of its existence, but when we try to look directly at this wave state, it collapses into particles.

I'm clearly not a physicist, but I think the very act of a photon striking a particle would collapse it's wave function. In order for us to observe a particle, we must interact with it somehow (whether it be through photons bouncing off the particle and striking our eyes, or applying a magnetic field). The act of interacting is what collapses the wavefunction, not really the act of looking at it. Trees in a forest don't exist in a wave function because the particles are constantly interacting with one another and with light.

 

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

-master of newton, ignorant of heisenberg

Thanks for the responses but I'm not talking about quantum mechanics.

 

The "Principle" that I'm refering to is talking about when you view a subject, ie. video tape them etc., you alter their behavior just by observing them.

 

For the life of me i can't remember the name of this principle. I can only remember it being called the so and so factor or something like that. For all I know it's not even a princible.

 

So if anyone knows just what the heck I'm talking about please help me out. Thanks

How about Reactivity of Behavior, the phenomenon whereby the object of observation is changed by the very fact that it is being observed?

http://www.webref.org/psychology/r/reactivity_of_behavior.htm

Observation bias?

Remarkable. I've been looking at this thread for two days and it's changed from a discussion on quantum mechanics to one on cognitive psychology. I'm a believer.

Remarkable. I've been looking at this thread for two days and it's changed from a discussion on quantum mechanics to one on cognitive psychology. I'm a believer.

Yes, Pavlov's dog is now chasing Schrodinger's cat.

Yes Phi for all that is what I was looing for but there is something else that it is called. After I find out exactly what it is called and what exactly the principle is I will post it. Thanks for all the info everybody.