Throughout history, psychology has carried out a great number of experiments which have changed science forever. In this section, you’ll find out more about the most well-known experiments, as well as the current experiments which offer some interesting results.
In the 1960s, David Cooper conducted an anti-psychiatry experiment called Villa 21. Although the results were encouraging, for some strange reason, few psychiatrists have ever defended the study. Money might be the reason why so many mental health professionals essentially…
The 19th century was one of the most interesting periods of contemporary history. Social movements, industrialization, increased school attendance, and scientific advancements led to many innovations and changes. That same combination gave rise to plenty of strange beliefs and scientific…
The first studies on sensory deprivation date back to the 1950s. It’s possible, however, that there were secret studies even before that decade. Researchers from McGill University in Montreal, Canada were the first to conduct related experiments with volunteers. In…
Santiago Genovés was a Spanish man who immigrated to Mexico when he was 15 to flee from the Spanish Civil War. In Mexico, he became an anthropologist. Along with his Norwegian colleague Thor Heyerdahl, he designed a famous experiment that…
The famous Rat Park experiment offered some fascinating insights into the nature of addiction. Rats are often used for “psychological experiments” due to their genetic similarity to humans. Ninety-five percent of the human genome is identical to that of rats.…
The Arzy experiment has tried to prove something few have dared to before. For a long time, anything related to alterations in our perception, such as seeing shadows or feeling a presence, had been treated as paranormal things. But thanks…
Scientists say that only humans smile. However, some people perceive smiles in their pets or other animals. What’s for sure is that it’s a high impact expression, not only for the one who smiles but those who are smiled at.…
The Little Albert Experiment is one of the most confusing and controversial stories in the history of psychology. It was conducted by John B. Watson, who many people consider the father of the behaviorism. In general terms, he proposed that…
The stimoceiver chip experiments are some of the most controversial neuroscientific experiments of all time. They’re, however, also quite fascinating. To conduct them, Spanish scientist José Manuel Rodríguez Delgado implanted a device of his own invention in the brain of…
Leon Festinger introduced the concept of cognitive dissonance as psychological tension in 1957. He tested the decision-making process in a cognitive dissonance experiment. Cognitive dissonance is a sensation that seems to derive from a conflict between the ideas, beliefs, and…
Even today, we shudder at the memory of the outrageous experiments carried out on human beings by the Nazis. Their purpose was to find mechanisms to control people’s minds. What few people know is that similar experiments with even darker…
In cognitive therapy for dependent personality disorder (DPD), the patient becomes increasingly autonomous and gradually modifies their contradictory thinking about their own autonomy and abilities. What Is Dependent Personality Disorder? According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders…
In the Western world, people believe that doing what they want will result in suffering or ruin. They even believe in silly ideas, such as that repressing our thoughts, feelings, and desires is synonymous with moral superiority. In reality, several…
Statistics is a branch of mathematics that studies variability as well as the process that calculates it by following the laws of probability and using its models. We know that statistics are necessary to carry out investigations as well as…
Guilt is a complex feeling, influenced by many factors. You experience it as remorse, self-blame, and a feeling of personal indignity. However, it’s not always a conscious feeling. Some experiences lead to unconscious guilt, which is a self-accusation that causes discomfort…
The founders of anti-psychiatry are David G. Cooper, R.D. Laing, Thomas Szasz, and Michel Foucault. This anti-psychiatry revolution took place in the sixties and its main interest was to denounce the gaps, theoretical problems, and abuse in the practice of…
In statistics, a bias is a systematic error that can occur in studies or experiments. When there’s a bias present, some responses are selected or favored over others. Interestingly, this bias occurs in a large part of investigations to a greater or…
Many researchers have tried to get closer to the concept of the science of evil in an attempt to find out the root causes of evil behavior. Neuroscience has been researching the brains of people who do evil things. Similarly, many…
The most common belief about infant communication is that infants can’t communicate before the age of one. According to this conception, babies and adults don’t communicate with each other until after a baby turns one. Nevertheless, new studies have suggested…
Almost every generation has gone through hardships. If not wars, then hunger, genocide, or harsh economic crisis. You know the physical and psychological consequences that people under these circumstances can develop, but do we inherit tragedies? These negative experiences can…