FOR A BRIEF moment during Thursday's Republican debate, I was convinced that CNN's "thermometer" poll of 36 undecided GOP voters actually measured body heat. Thanks to a breakthrough in computer graphics, the network was able to chart each subtle shift in the sample voters' moods.
The group members turned a hand dial to convey their reaction to each word and gesture, which were averaged out and displayed as two continuous wavy lines - one for men, the other for women - at the bottom of the screen. Although the sample voters were making conscious choices, the squiggles on the screen had an eerie resemblance to a lie-detector test or an electrocardiogram, suggesting an involuntary response.Perhaps the next step in polling should be to record involuntary physiological reactions: heart rate, breaths per minute, body temperature, perspiration, electrical activity in the brain. Scientists have made headlines of late talking about a second brain in the so-called "gut." Why not override pesky consciousness and let the gut have its say?
Eliminating conscious responses would make it far simpler to screen focus groups. CNN had to make "hundreds of calls" to find its 36 "earnest citizens," according to Thomas Hannon, the network's political director. With direct biological monitoring, however, surly, disaffected people could also be studied. As many experts believe such citizens outnumber the conscientious ones, this could lead to greater accuracy.
During the debate, a candidate's popularity soared when he brought up "new" ideas, such as when Steve Forbes touted a plan to reroute the payroll tax into individual retirement accounts. And popularity plummeted when a candidate criticized an opponent. But would a more cynical group have responded better to vicious attacks?
Elections aren't the only place physiological monitoring could come in handy. It could help remove the messy, intuitive element from jury selection. By testing potential jurors, lawyers would have a sounder basis to decide: Is this person open-minded, or a cunning, poker-faced rascal?
Physiological monitoring could also revolutionize first dates. Why sit through dinner with a person when you can discern midappetizer whether the night will end in heartthrob or heartburn?