The Pavlok fitness band is a crazy invention that promises to shock you into getting in shape.
According to Gizmodo, the name of the Pavlok smartband is inspired by Ivan Pavlov, the Russian physiologist known for his work in classical conditioning. He often used electric shocks in his experiments, but his most famous study involved a bell and salivating dogs. While giving food to dogs, Pavlov would ring a bell. He discovered that the dogs would eventually start salivating every time they heard the bell even if no food was given to them. This reaction was called a “conditioned reflex.”
This stimuli and response would be horrible for a fitness fanatic – who wants to get hungry every time they hear a bell? However, a Pavlov-inspired electric shock could prove to be a great motivator, and the Pavlok will give you one if you fail to meet your fitness goals. In other words, it uses negative feedback (the shock) instead of positive feedback (a bowl of food).
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The Pavlok fitness band is described as a “habit forming device” on its official website. It will launch later this year and will have a price tag of about $250. Crazily enough, the shock isn’t the biggest punishment that the device will dish out if you fail to get fit – you can also configure it to drain money from your bank account if you miss too many of your goals.
According to MailOnline, the firm behind the device says that it “combines accurate tracking capabilities, powerful commitment techniques, and ‘on-your-wrist’ reminder triggers to change users’ brains and form the habits they wish they had.” An accompanying app will allow you to set goals, and “an assigned referee” will help the app decide if you’re accomplishing them.
If you aren’t into the idea of being shocked, the creators of the device plan to offer a little positive reinforcement by giving users the chance to win prizes.
It’s just a shame that the device can’t be set up to shock you every few seconds while you’re running – this would be a great way to prepare for the Electroshock Therapy portion of a Tough Mudder race.
