Comments on: Psychology and humiliation http://www.splagkhna.org/psychology-and-humiliation/ Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:42:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.1 By: Markus http://www.splagkhna.org/psychology-and-humiliation/#comment-6723 Markus Sat, 19 Apr 2008 03:50:42 +0000 http://www.splagkhna.org/psychology-and-humiliation/#comment-6723 Don't know about the rest of psychology, but your critique of this particular study seems dead on. As you describe it, the study does indeed test how willing subjects are to admit shameful things about themselves to a stranger. Whether or not this is correlated with being honest to yourself is a question that would have to be decided separately. It might be that the researchers are perfectly well aware of this, and that the meaning of things just got distorted in communicating with the public. Or it might be just shoddy thinking on part of the researchers themselves. From my experience with scientists and philosophers and so on, this latter possibility is very real. It's all a funny mix, one day I marvel at the low quality of the stuff some people publish, and the next day the same person will write something really brilliant. Chaff and wheat. Don’t know about the rest of psychology, but your critique of this particular study seems dead on. As you describe it, the study does indeed test how willing subjects are to admit shameful things about themselves to a stranger. Whether or not this is correlated with being honest to yourself is a question that would have to be decided separately. It might be that the researchers are perfectly well aware of this, and that the meaning of things just got distorted in communicating with the public. Or it might be just shoddy thinking on part of the researchers themselves. From my experience with scientists and philosophers and so on, this latter possibility is very real. It’s all a funny mix, one day I marvel at the low quality of the stuff some people publish, and the next day the same person will write something really brilliant. Chaff and wheat.

]]> By: Susan http://www.splagkhna.org/psychology-and-humiliation/#comment-6728 Susan Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:31:50 +0000 http://www.splagkhna.org/psychology-and-humiliation/#comment-6728 Lies, damn lies, and psych experiments! For real fun, you might look at the "Stanford Prison Experiment" back in 1971. http://www.prisonexp.org/ Talk about an experiment "gone bad". Lies, damn lies, and psych experiments!

For real fun, you might look at the
“Stanford Prison Experiment” back in 1971.
http://www.prisonexp.org/
Talk about an experiment “gone bad”.

]]> By: Erika http://www.splagkhna.org/psychology-and-humiliation/#comment-6729 Erika Sat, 19 Apr 2008 18:15:30 +0000 http://www.splagkhna.org/psychology-and-humiliation/#comment-6729 The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_of_despair" rel="nofollow">pit of despair</a> is another classic. Credited with starting the animal rights movement. The pit of despair is another classic. Credited with starting the animal rights movement.

]]> By: ec http://www.splagkhna.org/psychology-and-humiliation/#comment-6730 ec Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:19:51 +0000 http://www.splagkhna.org/psychology-and-humiliation/#comment-6730 Apropos at <a href="http://web.ncf.ca/ek867/wood_s_lot.html" rel="nofollow">Wood s Lot</a> today 4-19..the poem by William Stafford. "A Ritual We Read Each Other" I think is the title. <small>[edited to include link]</small> Apropos at Wood s Lot today 4-19..the poem by William Stafford. “A Ritual We Read Each Other” I think is the title.

[edited to include link]

]]> By: michael5000 http://www.splagkhna.org/psychology-and-humiliation/#comment-6747 michael5000 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:12:53 +0000 http://www.splagkhna.org/psychology-and-humiliation/#comment-6747 Radio Lab! When I heard that program, I was more impressed by how the findings actually conform to and explain aspects of reality as I live it, more than your concerns. A lot of the problematic psych experiments you talk about in the first paragraph are things of the fairly distant past, as you may know. Human Subjects Committees have to sign off on you saying "boo" to someone now; I actually feel they have gone too far in the other direction and have nerfed the ability of psychological research to do much meaningful stuff with humans. Also, as long as I'm playing devil's avocado, it's not entirely fair to criticize the electric-shock type experiments for being unnatural because of the uneven power relationship, because they were all about studying the unnatural behavior engendered by an uneven power relationship. Lastly, in a lot of the big fiascos in the genre, like the Stanford Prison Experiment and whatsit, the electric shock one, the researchers had no idea up front that they were putting people in such traumatic situations. The idea was to see whether people would progress from mild to moderate shock, not to find out that everybody would progress all the way to lethal shocks. The experimenters were as horrified as you are. Radio Lab!

When I heard that program, I was more impressed by how the findings actually conform to and explain aspects of reality as I live it, more than your concerns.

A lot of the problematic psych experiments you talk about in the first paragraph are things of the fairly distant past, as you may know. Human Subjects Committees have to sign off on you saying “boo” to someone now; I actually feel they have gone too far in the other direction and have nerfed the ability of psychological research to do much meaningful stuff with humans.

Also, as long as I’m playing devil’s avocado, it’s not entirely fair to criticize the electric-shock type experiments for being unnatural because of the uneven power relationship, because they were all about studying the unnatural behavior engendered by an uneven power relationship.

Lastly, in a lot of the big fiascos in the genre, like the Stanford Prison Experiment and whatsit, the electric shock one, the researchers had no idea up front that they were putting people in such traumatic situations. The idea was to see whether people would progress from mild to moderate shock, not to find out that everybody would progress all the way to lethal shocks. The experimenters were as horrified as you are.

]]> By: Mike http://www.splagkhna.org/psychology-and-humiliation/#comment-6748 Mike Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:54:10 +0000 http://www.splagkhna.org/psychology-and-humiliation/#comment-6748 The electric shock one was Obedience to Authority, A.K.A. The Milgram experiment. Hence Peter Gabriel's "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)." The electric shock one was Obedience to Authority, A.K.A. The Milgram experiment. Hence Peter Gabriel’s “We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37).”

]]> By: Cross-pollination « Harvest Bird http://www.splagkhna.org/psychology-and-humiliation/#comment-7421 Cross-pollination « Harvest Bird Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:02:21 +0000 http://www.splagkhna.org/psychology-and-humiliation/#comment-7421 [...] the essay needs defending, we can do this.  We can read, we can think, we can [...] […] the essay needs defending, we can do this.  We can read, we can think, we can […]

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