Psychology Experiment - The Monster Study (One Of The Most Unethical Study Ever Conducted)
Summary
TLDRIn 1939, a notorious study known as the 'Monster Study' was conducted in Iowa involving 22 orphans to investigate stuttering. The unethical experiment aimed to induce stuttering in fluent speakers and test the effects of positive reinforcement on stutterers. It resulted in lifelong trauma for participants and was never published. Despite controversy, it provided significant insights into stuttering. The University of Iowa apologized in 2001, and in 2007, seven participants received compensation for psychological harm. The study's legacy remains a cautionary tale in psychological research ethics.
Takeaways
- 📚 In 1939, a study known as the 'Monster Study' was conducted in Iowa involving 22 orphans to induce stuttering and observe its effects.
- 🔬 The study, led by graduate student Mary Tudor under the supervision of speech expert Wendell Johnson, was intended to be therapeutic but turned out to be highly unethical.
- 🚫 The 'Monster Study' was never published in a peer-reviewed journal due to its controversial nature and was kept hidden for decades.
- 🌐 The study's methodology involved dividing the orphans into two groups, with one group receiving positive reinforcement and the other being told they were stuttering.
- 🤯 The study had severe psychological impacts on the participants, causing lifelong trauma and leading to the University of Iowa's public apology in 2001.
- 💬 Patricia Zabrowski, a professor at the University of Iowa, noted the study's collection as one of the largest scientific information sources on stuttering.
- 👥 The study's aftermath included legal compensation for some participants, with seven of the orphaned children receiving $1.2 million for emotional and psychological scars.
- 📑 Mary Tudor, who later expressed deep regret for her role, returned to the orphanage to provide follow-up care, attempting to reverse the study's effects.
- 📈 The study's findings highlighted the importance of stutterers' thoughts, attitudes, and feelings, influencing current views on stuttering.
- 🏫 The University of Iowa acknowledged the study as 'regrettable' and stated it should never be considered defensible, reflecting on the ethical standards of research.
Q & A
What was the main objective of the study conducted in Iowa Davenport in 1939?
-The main objective was to induce stuttering in normal speaking children and to see if telling stutterers that their speech was fine would help them recover.
Who were the subjects of the study known as the 'Monster Study'?
-The subjects were 22 orphans from the Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' Home, consisting of both stuttering and non-stuttering children.
Who conducted the 'Monster Study' and under whose supervision was it done?
-The study was conducted by a graduate student named Mary Tudor under the supervision of Wendell Johnson, a distinguished speech expert from the University of Iowa.
Why was the study never published in a peer-reviewed journal?
-The study was never published because it was considered one of the most unethical studies in the field of psychology and caused lifelong trauma to the participants.
What was the duration of the experimental period in the 'Monster Study'?
-The experimental period lasted from January until late May in 1939.
What were the two groups that the orphans were divided into during the study?
-One group was praised for their speech, while the other group was progressively shown symptoms of stuttering.
What was the aftermath of the 'Monster Study' for the participants?
-The study caused lifelong psychological and emotional scars for the participants, some of whom became self-conscious and reluctant to speak.
How did Mary Tudor try to rectify the situation after the study?
-Mary Tudor returned to the orphanage three times after the experiment had officially ended to voluntarily provide follow-up care, telling the branded stutterers that they did not stutter after all.
What compensation did the participants receive for their involvement in the study?
-On 17th August 2007, seven of the orphaned children were awarded a total of 1.2 million dollars by the state of Iowa for the lifelong psychological and emotional scars caused by the study.
What was the University of Iowa's response to the 'Monster Study'?
-In 2001, the University of Iowa publicly apologized for the study, and a spokesman called the experiment regrettable, stating it should never be considered defensible in any era.
What was Mary Tudor's final stance on her role in the 'Monster Study'?
-Before her death, Mary Tudor expressed deep regret about her role in the 'Monster Study' and maintained that Wendell Johnson should have done more to reverse the negative effects on the orphaned children's speech.
Outlines
📚 The Infamous 'Monster Study': Unethical Research on Orphans
In 1939, a highly unethical study was conducted in Iowa involving 22 orphans, aimed at inducing stuttering in normally fluent children and testing the effects of positive reinforcement on stutterers. The study, led by graduate student Mary Tudor under the supervision of speech expert Wendell Johnson, was never published due to its controversial nature and the lifelong trauma it inflicted on the participants. It was kept hidden for decades due to its timing with the revelation of Nazi human experiments during World War II. Despite its controversy, the study is considered by some to have the largest collection of scientific information on stuttering, as it was the first to discuss the importance of stutterers' thoughts, attitudes, and feelings. In 2001, the University of Iowa publicly apologized for the study, acknowledging the harm caused.
💔 Aftermath of the 'Monster Study': Psychological Scars and Legal Repercussions
The 'Monster Study' had profound and lasting effects on its participants. Some children became self-conscious and reluctant to speak, while others experienced severe psychological and emotional trauma. Mary Tudor, who conducted the study, returned to the orphanage to provide follow-up care, but the damage was done. In 2007, seven of the orphaned children were awarded $1.2 million by the state of Iowa for the lifelong scars caused by the study. The University of Iowa acknowledged the experiment as regrettable and indefensible. Mary Tudor expressed deep regret for her role in the study before her death, arguing that Wendell Johnson should have done more to reverse the negative effects on the children's speech. The study's legacy raises questions about the ethics of psychological research and the long-term impact of such experiments on individuals.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Stuttering
💡Ethics in Research
💡Peer-Reviewed Journal
💡Psychological Trauma
💡Orphans
💡Speech Therapy
💡Wendell Johnson
💡Mary Tudor
💡University of Iowa
💡Longitudinal Study
💡Human Experimentation
Highlights
A study conducted in Iowa in 1939 involved 22 orphans and aimed to induce stuttering in normal speaking children.
The study, known as the 'Monster Study,' was one of the most unethical in psychology and caused lifelong trauma to participants.
The study was never published in a peer-reviewed journal due to its controversial nature.
The 'Monster Study' was conducted by Mary Tudor under the supervision of speech expert Wendell Johnson from the University of Iowa.
The study was kept hidden due to the human experiments by the Nazis during World War II.
Patricia Zabrowski believed the study had the largest collection of scientific information on stuttering.
Wendell Johnson was the first to discuss the importance of stutterers' thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, and feelings.
In 2001, the University of Iowa publicly apologized for the 'Monster Study'.
Participants were not informed of the research intent and believed they were receiving speech therapy.
The study divided 22 orphans into two groups, one praised for speech and the other induced to stutter.
The experimental period lasted from January to May 1939, with interventions every few weeks.
Mary Tudor provided follow-up care after the study, attempting to reverse the negative effects on the children.
In 2007, seven of the orphaned children were awarded $1.2 million for psychological and emotional scars caused by the study.
The study's results were not published, but it is considered to have important information for understanding stuttering.
Mary Tudor expressed deep regret about her role in the 'Monster Study' before her death.
The University of Iowa called the experiment regrettable and indefensible.
Transcripts
for a more lengthy discussion about this
topic can be found in the enigmas
podcast link in the bio in 1939 a study
was conducted in Iowa Davenport
involving 22 orphans the objective was
to induce stuttering in normal speaking
children and to see whether telling
stutterers that their speech was fine
would help them recover what was
well-intentioned in the first place
turned out to be one of the most
unethical studies ever conducted in the
field of psychology which caused a
lifelong trauma to the participants of
the study in the end the study was never
published in a peer-reviewed journal it
was bitterly dubbed as the monster study
by the participants themselves the study
was conducted by a graduate student Mary
Tudor under the supervision of Wendell
Johnson who was a distinguished speech
expert from the University of Iowa since
the monster study was conducted during
the wake of the human experiment by the
Nazis during World War two the
experiment was kept hidden for fear of
Johnson's reputation because the study
was never published in a peer-reviewed
journal t doors theses the graduate who
conducted the study is the only official
record of the details of the experiment
despite its controversy Patricia
zabrowski University of Iowa assistant
professor of speech pathology in
audiology believed that the study has
the largest collection of scientific
information on the phenomenon of
stuttering as Johnson was the first to
discuss the importance of the stutterers
thoughts attitudes beliefs and feelings
which continues to influence views under
studdering greatly in 2001 the
University of Iowa publicly apologized
for the monster study
[Music]
none of the participants were told of
the intent of the research and they
believed that they were there to receive
speech therapy the study involved 22
orphans which consisted of both
stuttering and non stuttering from the
Iowa soldiers as orphans his home they
were divided into two groups where one
of the group was praised for their
speech whilst the other group was
progressively showing symptoms of
stuttering and correction had to take
place immediately the experimental
period lasted from January until late
May in 1939 and the actual intervention
consisted of two door driving to
Davenport from Iowa City every few weeks
and talking with each child for about 45
minutes she followed an agreed-upon
scrip in her dissertation she reported
that she talked to the stuttering
youngsters who were going to be told
that they did not stutter she said you
will outgrow the stuttering and you will
be able to speak even much better than
you're speaking now pay no attention to
what others say about your speaking
ability for undoubtedly they do not
realize that this is only a face to the
nun stuttering youngsters who were to be
branded stutterers she said the staff
has come to the conclusion that you have
a great deal of trouble with your speech
you have many of the symptoms of a child
who is beginning to stutter you must try
to stop yourself immediately use your
willpower do anything to keep from
stuttering do not ever speak unless you
can do it right you see how so-and-so
stutters don't you well he undoubtedly
started this very same way
[Music]
all the children's schoolwork fell off
one of the boys began refusing to recite
in class the other 11 year-old Clarence
Pfeiffer started anxiously correcting
himself to door reported he stopped and
told me he was going to have trouble on
words before he said them she asked him
how he knew he said the sound wouldn't
come out it feels like it's stuck in
there one of the participants Mary
cholesky a 12 year old who withdrawn and
fractious during their sessions to door
asked whether her best friend knew about
her stuttering cholesky muttered no why
not Cora Lasky shuffled her feet
I hardly ever talked to her two years
later she ran away from the orphanage
and eventually ended up at the rougher
industrial school for girls
simultaneously escaping her human
experimentation Mary Tudor herself
wasn't untouched three times after
experiment had officially ended she
returned to the orphanage to voluntarily
provide follow-up care she told the
branded stutterers that they did not
stutter after all the impact however
well-meaning was questionable
she wrote to Johnson about the orphans
in a slightly defensive letter dated
April 22nd 1940
that in time they will recover but we
certainly made a definite impression on
them on 17th August 2007 seven of the
orphaned children were awarded a total
of 1.2 million dollars by the state of
Iowa for lifelong psychological and
emotional scars caused by six months of
torment
during the University of Iowa experiment
the study learned that although none of
the children became stutterers some
became self-conscious and reluctant to
speak a spokesman for the University of
Iowa called the experiment regrettable
and added this is a study that should
never be considered defensible in any
era in no way would I ever think of
defending the study in no way it's more
than unfortunate before her death Mary
Tudor expressed deep regret about her
role in the monster study and maintained
that Wendell Johnson should have done
more to reverse the negative effects on
the orphaned children speech
what do you think of today's topic do
you agree that Wendell Johnson had no
intention in harming the orphans do you
agree that the result of the study
should have been published either way
knowing that the study had important
information in understanding stutterers
do let me know what you think in the
comment section below also don't forget
to subscribe so you'll get notified as
soon as there's a new episode stay safe
and have a great day
Посмотреть больше похожих видео
5 Most Disturbing & Unethical Human Experiments
The Stanford Prison Experiment (Summary + Lessons)
Stanford Prison Experiment
The CREEPY effect of starvation to the mind (Experiment)
The Stanford Prison Experiment Was One of the Most Disturbing Studies Ever
The Tuskegee Experiment: Crash Course Black American History #29
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)