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The barometer question is an example of an incorrectly designed examination question demonstrating functional fixedness that causes a moral dilemma for the examiner. In its classic form, popularized by American test designer professor Alexander Calandra (1911–2006), the question asked the student to "show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer."〔http://www.unz.org/Pub/SaturdayRev-1968dec21-00060?View=PDF〕 The examiner was confident that there was one, and only one, correct answer, which is through calculating the difference in pressure at the top and bottom of the building. Contrary to the examiner's expectations, the student responded with a series of completely different answers. These answers were also correct, yet none of them proved the student's competence in the specific academic field being tested. The barometer question achieved the status of an urban legend; according to an internet meme, the question was asked at the University of Copenhagen and the student was Niels Bohr.〔http://naturelovesmath-en.blogspot.in/2011/06/niels-bohr-barometer-question-myth.html〕 The Kaplan, Inc. ACT preparation textbook describes it as an "MIT legend",〔Kaplan, p. 52.〕 and an early form is found in a 1958 American humor book.〔''Reader's Digest Treasury of Wit & Humor,'' (p. 303 )〕 However, Calandra presented the incident as a real-life, first-person experience that occurred during the Sputnik crisis.〔Calandra, Alexander, ''Angels on a Pin''. Reproduced in Barnes et al., pp. 228-229. p. 229.〕 Calandra's essay, ''Angels on a Pin'', was published in 1959 in ''Pride'', a magazine of American College Public Relations Association.〔''(Pride, volumes 3-4 )'' (1959). American College Public Relations Association. p. 11.〕 It was reprinted in ''Current Science'' in 1964,〔Attribution and date (Current Science (Teacher's Edition), 44 (January 6–10, 1964), pp. 1-2.) as in: Van Cleve Morris et al. (1969). ''(Modern movements in educational philosophy )''. Houghton Mifflin. p. 82.〕 in ''Saturday Review'' in 1968〔Attribution and date (Saturday Review, Dec. 21, 1968) as in Weimer, p. 234.〕 and included in the 1969 edition of Calandra's ''The Teaching of Elementary Science and Mathematics''.〔Attribution and year of publication ("Published in the AIChE Journal vol. 15 no. 2, 1969, p. 13. ") as in Sanders, pp. 196-197.〕 In the same 1969 Calandra's essay became a subject of an academic discussion.〔Discussed by Calandra et al. in: Van Cleve Morris et al. (1969). ''(Modern movements in educational philosophy )''. Houghton Mifflin.〕 It was frequently reprinted since 1970,〔Reproduced in entirety in: Muse Milton (1970). ''(Selected readings for the introduction to the teaching profession )''. McCutchan Pub. Corp. ISBN 0-8211-1218-X, pp. 100-103.〕 making its way into books on subjects ranging from teaching,〔Reproduced in entirety in Barnes et al., pp. 228-229; paraphrased in Herson, pp. 21-22 etc.〕 writing skills,〔Reproduced in entirety in: Skwire, David (1994). ''(Writing with a thesis: a rhetoric and reader )''. Harcourt Brace College Publishers. ISBN 0-03-079101-4. pp. 40-42.〕 workplace counseling〔Reproduced in entirety, in German, in: Otto F. Kernberg (2005). ''(WIR: Psychotherapeuten über sich und ihren "unmöglichen" Beruf )''. Schattauer Verlag. ISBN 3-7945-2466-7. pp. 318-319.〕 and investment in real estate〔Reproduced in part in: Allen, pp. 12-13.〕 to chemical industry,〔Paraphrased in: Sanders, pp. 196-197.〕 computer programming〔Paraphrased in Peter van der Linden (1994). ''(Expert C programming: deep C secrets )''. Prentice Hall PTR. ISBN 0-13-177429-8. p. 344.〕 and integrated circuit design.〔Reproduced in entirety in: Jim Williams (1992). ''(Analog Circuit Design: Art, Science and Personalities )''. Newnes. ISBN 0-7506-9640-0. pp. 3-4.〕 == Calandra's account == A colleague of Calandra asked the barometer question to a student, expecting the correct answer: "the height of the building can be estimated in proportion to the difference between the barometer readings at the bottom and at the top of the building".〔A classic in-depth discussion of the subject was presented in 1823 by Rev. Baden Powell in ''Measurement of Heights by the Barometer'', published in (volume 22, numbers I through V ), of the ''Annals of Philosophy''. For a modern presentation of the same subject, see Silverman, pp. 40-48. The particular formula sought by Calandra's examiner is marked with index 2.12 on page 41.〕 The student provided a different, and also correct answer: "Take the barometer to the top of the building. Attach a long rope to it, lower the barometer to the street, then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of the rope is the height of the building."〔Calandra, Alexander, ''Angels on a Pin''. Reproduced in Barnes et al., pp. 228-229. p. 228.〕 The examiner and Calandra, who was called to advise on the case, faced a moral dilemma. According to the format of the exam, a correct answer deserved a full credit. But issuing a full credit would have violated academic standards by rewarding a student who had not demonstrated competence in the academic field that had been tested (physics). None of two available options (pass or fail) was morally acceptable.〔 Calandra asked the student the same question, and received a wealth of different answers including dropping the barometer from the top of the building and timing its fall with a stopwatch; trading the barometer to the building's superintendent in return for the information wanted; creating two small pendulums and measuring the variation of g from the ground to the top of the building; creating a pendulum as high as the building and measuring its period; and comparing the length of the shadows of the building and the barometer. The student ultimately admitted that he knew the expected "correct" answer but was fed up with the professors "teaching him how to think ... rather than teaching him the structure of the subject".〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Barometer question」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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