Before Judgement

A guided first encounter exploring how people form judgements about unfamiliar wellbeing practices.

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Research Question

How can a guided first encounter be designed to suspend immediate judgement and encourage more open engagement with unfamiliar wellbeing practices?

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Aim

This intervention explores how people form immediate judgements when encountering unfamiliar wellbeing practices.

Using Chinese cultural wellbeing traditions as a case study, the intervention does not aim to persuade participants that a practice is correct or effective. Instead, it investigates whether sensory experience, embodied engagement and reflection can create a pause between first impression and final judgement.

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Participant Journey

Stage 1: First Impression

Participants enter the space and encounter a statement:

“Would you try this?”

7 days without eating.

No explanation is provided.

Participants are invited to respond immediately.

On a reflection wall they choose labels such as:

• Interesting
• Strange
• Dangerous
• Trustworthy
• Spiritual
• Fake
• Curious

They are also asked:

Why?

Participants write a short word or sentence explaining their reaction.

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Stage 2: Visual Response

Before entering the experience, participants receive a small card.

Prompt:

Draw how this statement makes you feel.

No artistic skill is required.

Participants can draw:

• shapes
• colours
• symbols
• lines

The purpose is to capture an emotional response before any experience takes place.

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Stage 3: Guided Five Elements Experience

Participants are invited into a simple sensory experience inspired by Chinese cultural wellbeing traditions.

The experience consists of five stations.

Each station lasts approximately one minute.

Participants are free to spend longer if they wish.

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Wood

Theme:
Growth and release

Elements:

• Wood music
• Green visual card
• Stretching movement

Prompt:

“What are you holding onto today?”

Participants make a simple drawing or write a word.

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Fire

Theme:
Energy and emotion

Elements:

• Fire music
• Hand warming exercise

Prompt:

“What gives you energy?”

Participants leave a word or symbol.

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Earth

Theme:
Grounding

Elements:

• Stone or natural object
• Slow breathing

Prompt:

“What helps you feel stable?”

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Metal

Theme:
Reflection

Elements:

• Metal music
• Quiet listening

Prompt:

“What would you like to let go of?”

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Water

Theme:
Rest and flow

Elements:

• Water music
• Eyes closed listening

Prompt:

“What do you need more of right now?”

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Stage 4: Reflection

After completing the sensory journey, participants return to the original statement.

“Would you try this?”

7 days without eating.

They revisit the reflection wall.

Participants may:

• keep their original labels
• remove labels
• add new labels
• write additional comments

They are not encouraged to agree or disagree.

The purpose is simply to observe whether reflection has occurred.

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Stage 5: Visual Response After Experience

Participants receive a second card.

Prompt:

Draw how you feel now.

These drawings can be compared with the first drawings.

The focus is not on artistic quality but on emotional and perceptual change.

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Data Collection

Evidence may include:

• Reflection wall responses
• Before and after drawings
• Participant comments
• Observation notes
• Short conversations after participation

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What Is Being Measured?

The intervention is NOT measuring:

• whether Bigu is effective
• whether participants agree with Chinese traditions
• whether participants change their beliefs

The intervention IS exploring:

• first impressions
• judgement formation
• emotional responses
• reflection after experience
• how a guided encounter influences perception

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Expected Outcome

The project aims to understand what happens between first impression and final judgement.

Rather than asking participants to accept unfamiliar wellbeing practices, the intervention creates a space where judgement can be slowed down, questioned and reflected upon.