Controversial Experiments
by johnataylor · 10 things on Twos
- The Milgram Experiment: Conducted in the 1960s, this experiment aimed to study obedience to authority. Participants were instructed to administer electric shocks to another person (who was actually an actor) when they answered questions incorrectly. The shocks were not real, but the participants were unaware of this.
- The Stanford Prison Experiment: Conducted in 1971, this experiment aimed to study the psychological effects of perceived power and authority. Participants were randomly assigned roles as prisoners or guards in a simulated prison environment. The experiment had to be terminated early due to the extreme psychological distress experienced by the participants.
- The Monster Study: Conducted in 1939, this experiment aimed to study the effects of negative speech therapy on children. Orphaned children were divided into two groups, one receiving positive speech therapy and the other receiving negative speech therapy. The experiment was highly criticized for the psychological harm it caused to the children.
- The Little Albert Experiment: Conducted in 1920, this experiment aimed to study classical conditioning in humans. A young boy named Albert was conditioned to fear a white rat by pairing its presence with a loud noise. The experiment is controversial due to the ethical concerns surrounding the psychological harm inflicted on the child.
- The Aversion Project: Conducted in South Africa during the apartheid era, this experiment aimed to "cure" homosexuality. Gay men and lesbians were subjected to various forms of aversion therapy, including electric shocks and chemical castration. The experiment was highly unethical and caused severe harm to the participants.
- The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment: Conducted from 1932 to 1972, this experiment aimed to study the natural progression of untreated syphilis in African American men. The participants were not informed of their diagnosis and were denied proper treatment, even after the discovery of penicillin as a cure. The experiment violated ethical standards and resulted in the unnecessary suffering and deaths of many participants.
- The Russian Sleep Experiment: Although often considered a fictional story, this experiment involves a fictional account of Soviet researchers testing the effects of sleep deprivation on human subjects. The experiment allegedly involved keeping subjects awake for an extended period, resulting in severe psychological and physical consequences. It is important to note that this experiment is not based on any real scientific study.
- The Marshmallow Test: Conducted in the 1960s and 1970s, this experiment aimed to study delayed gratification in children. Children were given a choice between eating a marshmallow immediately or waiting for a short period to receive a second marshmallow. The experiment aimed to understand the correlation between delayed gratification and future success.
- The Bobo Doll Experiment: Conducted in 1961, this experiment aimed to study the effects of observing aggressive behavior on children. Children were exposed to a video of an adult model displaying aggressive behavior towards a Bobo doll. The experiment found that children who observed the aggressive behavior were more likely to imitate it.
- The Rat Park Experiment: Conducted in the 1970s, this experiment aimed to study the effects of environment on drug addiction in rats. Rats were placed in either isolated cages or enriched environments with social interaction and activities. The experiment found that rats in the enriched environment were less likely to become addicted to drugs.