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Behavior of young children in a situation simulating entrapment in refrigerators

pediatrics.aappublications.org

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Re: Behavior of young children in a situation simulating entrapment in refrigerators

#2

  a higher rate of success being associated with fewer years of education attained by mother and father combined.
Tell me more - is that statistically significant? Causes? Related to Reading age?

The bit that worries me is the percentage of children who locked in the fridge just waited and cried.

Re: Behavior of young children in a situation simulating entrapment in refrigerators

#3

a higher rate of success being associated with fewer years of education attained by mother and father combined. Tell me more - is that statistically significant? Causes? Related to Reading age? The bit that worries me is the percentage of children who locked in the fridge just waited and cried.

If they cry loud enough, it may not be the worst strategy.

Re: Behavior of young children in a situation simulating entrapment in refrigerators

#5
post #3

a higher rate of success being associated with fewer years of education attained by mother and father combined. Tell me more - is that statistically significant? Causes? Related to Reading age? The bit that worries me is the percentage of children who locked in the fridge just waited and cried.

If they cry loud enough, it may not be the worst strategy.

Aren't fridges pretty airtight though? Isn't that the whole point here? If so, then crying loud and long is at best a hell of a bet.

I'd be willing to bet that fridges are pretty good sound insulators. The inside is sort of suspended IIRC.

Re: Behavior of young children in a situation simulating entrapment in refrigerators

#7
It would be good to add (1958) to the title -- I doubt such an experiment would fly today, and this presents a fascinating look back in history both at the state of experimental ethics and the development of modern refrigerator doors.

The only experience I have with fridges so old is the one that my grandfather rotated 90 degrees and buried in his yard, to serve as a root cellar. I think the door may have had an actual lock on it, but can't recall; if so, this experiment studying door release mechanisms would make much more sense.

Edit to add: It's possible the invention of magnetic weatherstripping has saved many lives.

Re: Behavior of young children in a situation simulating entrapment in refrigerators

#8
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they cry loud enough, it may not be the worst strategy.

Aren't fridges pretty airtight though? Isn't that the whole point here? If so, then crying loud and long is at best a hell of a bet. I'd be willing to bet that fridges are pretty good sound insulators. The inside is sort of suspended IIRC.

Airtight does not imply soundproof. Well-insulated is better correlated, and fridges do tend to be that as well.

Re: Behavior of young children in a situation simulating entrapment in refrigerators

#9
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they cry loud enough, it may not be the worst strategy.

Aren't fridges pretty airtight though? Isn't that the whole point here? If so, then crying loud and long is at best a hell of a bet. I'd be willing to bet that fridges are pretty good sound insulators. The inside is sort of suspended IIRC.

Put a microphone inside and outside the fridge. If the noise coming from inside the fridge is louder than the noise from outside the fridge, pop the hatch automatically.

Not a viable solution for 1958x but today we are talking about a few dollars in electronics and an electromagnet.

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