The opposite and much more common type of behaviour, in which fluids become less viscous the longer they undergo shear, is called thixotropy.
Work is also being done to use these materials in other kinds of protective equipment, which is seen as potentially useful to reduce apparent impact stress in athletics, motor sports, transportation accidents, and all forms of parachuting.
In particular, footwear with rheopectic shock absorption is being pursued as a dual-use technology that can provide better support to those who must frequently run, leap, climb, or descend.
[citation needed] An incorrect example often used to demonstrate rheopecty is cornstarch mixed with water (sometimes called oobleck), which is a very viscous, white fluid.
However, oobleck is actually a dilatant fluid, since it does not show the time-dependent, shear-induced change required in order to be labeled rheopectic.