06-14-2005, 01:29 AM
Obi2Kenobi,Jun 13 2005, 06:10 PM Wrote:But if the person thought that it was real, it's the same (to them) as being real.
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Yes, although a scary movie can make me fidget, scream, and possibly even vomit, without convincing me that it is real. But even if they were absolutely convinced the shock was real, that's not enough. Did the people think that it was both real and wrong? What was their perception of the pain being caused by the shocks, and did they think it had any chance of causing permanent damage? Could the person adminstrating the test have been as calm and reassurring if the shock was actually real, and if not, would that not have led to more people quitting the test sooner? If the person being shocked was physically restrained, the other person may have feared repercussions for quitting (i.e. "this scientist is a psycho and he is going to put me in that chair if I mess up the experiment"), and if the person being shocked was not physically restrained, it would be hard to believe there was anything morally wrong with the experiment (if the guy doesn't want to continue he would just walk out?).
It's a fascinating experiment, but it does seem sloppy to me.