The most cruel experiments in the history of psychology

The noble goal - to learn more about the intricacies of human behavior, perception, emotional state - not always achieve the same noble means. Psychologists and psychiatrists, stood at the origin of many branches of science on the human psyche, to conduct such experiments on humans and animals that are difficult to call humane or ethical. For the sake of justice is worth noting that they helped to eventually develop the ethical standards of modern research. What did not nullify condones their brutality.

10. " Monstrous experiment" (1939)

In 1939, Wendell Johnson of the University of Iowa (USA) and his graduate student Mary Tudor had a shocking experiment, involving 22 orphans from Devenporta. Children were divided into control and experimental groups. Half of the children told the experimenter how pure and correctly, they say. The second half of children waiting for the unpleasant minutes: Mary Tudor, spare no epithets, vitriolic ridiculed the slightest weakness of their speech, eventually calling all zhalkimi stutterer. As a result of the experiment, many children who have never experienced problems with speech and the will of fate have been "negative" group developed all the symptoms of stuttering, which persisted throughout their lives. The experiment, later called "monstrous", long concealed from the public for fear of damaging the reputation of Johnson: similar experiments were carried out later on prisoners in concentration camps of Nazi Germany. In 2001, University of Iowa offered a formal apology to all the victims in the study.

9. The "Alloy" (1970)

In South Africa in the Army from 1970 to 1989 carried out covert program to clean up the military ranks of soldiers with different sexual orientation. Sign walked all means: treatment with electric shocks to chemical castration. The exact number of victims is unknown, but, according to Army doctors in the "cleansing" of various prohibited experiments on human nature have been about 1000 troops. Army psychiatrists on behalf of command vengeance "eradicated" homosexuals: those who resist the "treatment", sent by shock therapy, forced to take hormonal drugs and even sex change operations. In most cases, "patients" were young white males between the ages ot16 to 24 years. The then head of "research", Dr. Aubrey Levin, now a professor of psychiatry at the University of Calgary (Canada). He is currently in private practice.

8. Stanford Prison Experiment (1971)

The experiment with "artificial prison" was not intended as something of its creator unethical or harmful to the psyches of its participants, but the results of this study plunged into shock the public. Renowned psychologist Philip Zimbardo decided to study the behavior and social norms of individuals who are atypical for terms of imprisonment and forced to play the role of prisoners or guards. To do so, in the basement of the Faculty of Psychology up mock prison, a student volunteer in the number of 24 people divided into "prisoners" and "guards". It was understood that "prisoners" initially placed in a situation in which they will experience personal confusion and degradation, until the full Depersonalization. "Guards" did not give any specific instructions regarding their roles. At first the students do not seem especially aware of how they should play their role, but on the second day of the experiment, all fit into place: Uprising "prisoners" were brutally suppressed "guards". Since then, the behavior of both parties were fundamentally changed. "Guards" have developed a special system of privileges designed to divide "prisoners" and settle their distrust each other - one by one they are not as strong as, together, and thus easier to "protect". "Guards" had to seem that the "prisoners" at any time ready to raise a new "revolt", and tightened control system to the extreme degree: "prisoners" are not left alone with them, even in the toilet. As a result of "prisoners" began to suffer emotional disorders, depression, powerlessness. After some time to visit "prisoners" came "a prison priest." When asked how their name, "prisoners" are most often cited their numbers rather than names, and asked how they are going to get out of prison, led them to a standstill. By horror experimenters found that the "prisoners" absolutely vzhilis in their roles and began to feel in this prison, and "guards" had this sadistic feelings and intentions towards the "prisoners" for a few days ago, their former good friends. It seemed that both sides completely forgotten that all this - just an experiment. Although the experiment was scheduled for two weeks, he was terminated prematurely, only six days for ethical reasons.

7. Studies on the effects of drugs on the body (1969)

It is recognized that some experiments conducted on animals, helping scientists to invent medicines that in the future could save tens of thousands of lives. However, some studies all the boundaries of ethics. An example can serve as an experiment to help scientists understand the speed and extent of prison rights to drugs. The experiment was conducted on rats and monkeys, as the animals closest to humans in physiology. Animal priuchali own vpryskivat a dose of certain drugs: morphine, cocaine, codeine, amphetamines, etc. Once the animals have learned to their own "prick" experimenter left them a large amount of drugs, provided the animals themselves and began surveillance. Animals are so lost that some of them even tried to escape, and while under the influence of drugs, they maim and do not feel pain. Monkeys taking cocaine, began to suffer convulsions and hallucinations: unfortunate animals to pluck up a phalanx fingers. Monkeys, "sitting" on amphetamine vydernuli host all wool. Animals, "drug addicts", preferred the "cocktail" of morphine and cocaine, died within 2 weeks after the start of the reception preparations. Despite the fact that the aim of the experiment was to understand and assess the impact of drugs on the human organism with the intent to further the development of effective drug treatment, ways of achieving the results difficult to call humane.

6. Experiments Landis: spontaneous expressions of people and the subordination (1924)

In 1924, Karin Landis of the University of Minnesota began to study human gesture. The experiment, start a scientist, was to identify common patterns of work groups facial muscles responsible for the expression of individual emotional states, and find a gesture typical of fear, embarrassment or other emotions (if it is considered a typical gesture, typical for most people). Subject had its own students. To make a gesture more clearly, he has painted on the faces of subjects from zhzhenoy stopper, after which they produce something that can cause strong emotions: made them smell ammonia, listen to jazz, look at pornographic pictures and thrust their hands in buckets of zhabami. At the time of the expression of emotions students photographed. And all would be anything but the last test, which Landis attacked the students, led krivotolki of the greatest scientists of psychologists. Landis asked each subject to cut off the head of white rats. All participants in an experiment at first refused to do so, many weeping and screaming, but since most of them agreed to do so. Worst of all was that the majority of participants in the experiment, they say, in life and not fly obideli and absolutely no idea how to implement the order experimenter. As a result, the animals have caused a lot of pain. The effects of the experiment proved to be far more important than the experiment. There is no regularity in the terms person scientists could not be found, however, psychologists have received proof of how easily people are willing to obey authority and do what in normal circumstances would not have done.

5. Kroshka Albert (1920)

John Watson, the father bihevioristskogo directions in psychology, research natural fears and phobias. By studying the emotions of infants, Watson, among others, became interested in the possibility of forming reactions of fear in relation to objects that had previously not cause fear. Scientific investigated the possibility of emotional response to fear of white rats at the 9-month boy, Albert, who krysu not afraid, and even love with her play. During the experiment, within two months of an orphaned baby from the shelter showed a hand-white rats, white rabbit, VT, the mask of Santa Claus with a beard, etc. Two months later the child was put on the mat the middle room and allowed to play with rats. Initially, the child is not afraid of rats and calmly played with her. After a while, Watson started to knock the iron hammer on the metal plate behind the child every time Albert touch the rats. After the recurrence of attacks Albert began to avoid contact with rats. After a week of experience repeated - this time for the band was hit five times by simply placing krysu in the cradle. The infant has just wept at the sight of white rats. Even after five days Watson has decided to verify whether the child is afraid of similar objects. The child was afraid of a white rabbit, wool, masks Santa Claus. As the loud sounds when displaying items not issued researcher, Watson concluded transfer reactions of fear. Watson suggested that too many fears, dislikes and alarming state of adults are still in early childhood. Unfortunately, Uotsonu have not been able to rid the child of Albert from his wanton fear, which is entrenched on the rest of their lives.

4. Acquired helplessness (1966)

In 1966, psychologists Mark Seligman and Steve Mayer held a series of experiments on dogs. Animals placed in a cell, tentatively divided into three groups. Control group over time were released without causing any harm, the second group of animals subjected to repeated shocks currents, which could halt the click of a lever from inside, but their third group of animals subjected to sudden shocks currents, which can not be prevented. As a result, the dogs developed a so-called "acquired helplessness" - a reaction to the unpleasant irritants, based on the conviction of helplessness over the world. Shortly animals began to show signs of clinical depression. After a while, dogs from the third group was released from the cells and put into open cages, which easily could escape. Dogs again subjected to electric shocks, but none of them have not even thought about escape. Instead, they passively respond to pain, vosprinimaya it as inevitable. Dogs have learned for themselves from the previous negative experiences that escape is impossible and no longer made any attempt to jump out of cells. Scientists have suggested that the human reaction to stress very much like a dog: people are helpless after several setbacks, following one after another. It is unclear just such a cost, vobzem something banal conclusion of the suffering of the unfortunate animal.

3. The experiment Milgrema (1974)

Experiment Stanley Milgrema from Yale University described the author of the book "Making credibility: a pilot study." Experimenter participated in the experiment, test and the actor playing the role of another test. At the beginning of the experiment between the subject and actor "by lot" distributed the role of the teacher and student. " In fact ispytuemomu always reach the role of "teacher" and hired an actor has always been a "disciple". "Teachers" before the experiment, explained that the purpose of the experience - ostensibly to identify new methods of storing information. In reality, however experimenter to explore human behavior, receive instructions, diverging from its internal behavioral norms, from an authoritative source. "Apprentices" tied to a chair, to which was attached elektroshoker. As "Apprentice" and "teacher" received "demonstration" electric shock of 45 volts. More "teacher" goes to another room and had to make hands-free "student" simple tasks on memorization. With each error student test was to click on a button, and pupils receive electric shock of 45 volts. In fact, an actor playing a student, only pretended that gets electric shock. Then, after every mistake the teacher had to increase the voltage of 15 volts. At one point, the actor began to seek to terminate the experiment. "Teacher" began to doubt, and experimenter, it answered: "The experiment requires that you continue. Continue, please." As the tension actor razygryval increasing discomfort, then pain and finally stall at the Creek. The experiment lasted until the voltage to 450 volts. If the "teacher" hesitant, experimenter assured him that assumes full responsibility for the experiment and for the safety of "students" and that the experiment should continue. The results were shocking: 65% of "teachers" have given level of 450 volts, knowing that "Apprentice" has terrible pain. Despite all the preliminary forecasts experimenters, the majority of subjects obeyed the instructions managed the experiment scientist and punished "pupil" with electric shocks, with a series of experiments of four subjects, none did not stop to the level of 300 volts, five refused to obey only after this level, and 26 "teachers" from 40 survived until the end of the scale. Critics said that the subjects mesmerize the credibility of Yale University. In response to this criticism Milgrem repeated the experiment, removing the impoverished premises in the town of Bridgeport (Connecticut), under the guise "Study Association of Bridgeport." The results qualitatively not changed: 48% of subjects agreed to come to the end of the scale. In 2002, the combined results of all similar experiments have shown that by the end of the scale of revenue from 61% to 66% of "teachers", regardless of the time and place of the experiment. The findings of the experiment followed the most frightening: unknown dark side of human nature tends not only to thoughtlessly obey authority and to carry out the most unimaginable directions, but also to justify their own behavior received "Order". Many participants in the experiment had a sense of superiority over the "disciple" and by clicking on the button, were confident that the "apprentice", responded incorrectly to a question, gets short shrift. Ultimately, the results of the experiment showed that the need for obedience image ingrained in our consciousness so deeply that the subjects continued to follow the directions, in spite of suffering morality and a strong internal conflict.

2. " The source of frustration" (1960)

His brutal Harry Harlow conducted experiments in monkeys. Exploring the question of exclusion of individuals and methods of protection against her, Harlow selected young monkeys from his mother and placed in a cage all alone, and choose those calves, whose relationship with his mother was the most robust. A monkey was kept in a cage year, after which it released. Most specimens found various psychological. Scientific reached the following conclusions: even a happy childhood is not protected from depression. The results, to put it mildly, is not impressive: such a conclusion could be done without a cruel experiments on animals. However, the movement to protect the rights of animals started it after the publication of the results of this experiment.

1. The boy, who raised as a girl (1965 - 2004)

In 1965, eight baby Bruce Reymer, who was born in Winnipeg, Canada, on the advice of doctors subjected to the procedure of circumcision. However, due to an error surgeon who carried out the operation, the boy's penis had been completely damaged. Psychologist John Mani from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore (USA), which sought the advice of the child's parents, advised them to "simple" way out of difficult situations: to change the sex of the child and raise it as a girl until he grew up and began to experience complex about his men's insolvency. We are told - to do: Bruce soon became a brand. Unfortunate parents did not guess that their child was the victim of cruel experiment: John Mani has long sought an opportunity to prove that sex is not nature, and education, and Bruce was the ideal object of observation. The boy removed the testicles, and then for several years, Mani published in scientific journals reports "successful" development of its experimental. "It is clear that the child behaves like an active little girl and her behavior is very different from the boyish behavior of its twin brother" - assured the scientist. However, homes, and teachers at the school celebrated the child's typical boyish behavior and perception shifted. Worst of all was that parents Fugitive son-daughter truth, had the strongest emotional stress. As a result, the mother has had suicidal tendencies, his father became alcoholic, and twin brother are permanent residents of depression. When Bruce-Brand reached adolescence, he began to estragen to stimulate the growth of breast, and then Mani insisted the new operation, during which Brende had to form a women's genitals. But then Bruce-Brand revolt. He flatly refused to do an operation and stopped to visit an appointment with the Mani. One after another was followed by three suicide attempts. The last one ended for him komoy, but he recovered and began struggling to return to a normal existence - as men. He was replaced by the name of David, ostrig hair and began to wear men's clothing. In 1997, he went through a series of reconstructive operations to restore physical sex. He also married a woman and adopted her three children. However HAPPY End does not have: in May 2004, after the break with his wife, David Reymer suicide at the age of 38 years.