Opening Skinner's Box by Lauren Slater
Chapter 5
This chapter is about Leon Festinger's studies of cognitive dissonance. He and some others infiltrated a cult that believed the end was near, but when it was not they rationalized to fit why doomsday did not happen. They said that enough humans repented their ways and believed in their god to save the entire race. When faced with even the exact opposite of what they believe so strongly in, they rationalize a reason in order to help make what they believed significant. No one likes to admit that all they believe in is for nothing. The human mind is ready to rationalize very strong inconsistencies in the name of self preservation.
I thought that the author was incredibly rude to Audrey's mother throughout her conversations with her. I do not believe in such miracles like the author, but I do realize that others do. She repeatedly prodded at the fact that her daughter has not saved her. I felt as though the author was picking at clear sensitive areas to get a reaction she wanted out of her. I can only imagine the pain that poor mother was going through loosing her daughter at such an early age, knowing she will die from cancer soon and not knowing what will happen to her daughter after she passes. I am sure anyone would make up very strange rationalizations of it all. I would probably just go crazy.
Chapter 6
Harry Harlow's experiments disproved Skinner's theory that all actions are caused by stimulus such as hunger. There are other elements in play. His experiment showed that the love of a child to it mother is not based on the supplying of food. Touch is overwhelmingly more important, though it is not the only thing required. A baby monkey will attach itself to a comfortable surrogate mother even if it does not supply food. The babies grow up to be mentally unstable without any interaction with other monkeys even though as babies they are very happy with the surrogate mother. Harlow clearly did not see child rearing as very important when it turned out to be more complicated than he had thought. He continued research to see what exactly the elements were to create a normal adult monkey. Touch, movement and just thirty minutes of interaction with another monkey a day seemed to create a normal monkey. It was not until they had offspring that it was clear they were not normal. The mothers killed or neglected their offspring.
I believe that these experiments are incredibly unethical. Pain is pain no matter what the organism. They clearly were feeling pain and being completely mentally debilitated. That being said, the outcomes of the experiments help humans raise children and is rather beneficial over all. Do the end justify the means in this case? It is hard to say.
I thought that the author was incredibly rude to Audrey's mother throughout her conversations with her. I do not believe in such miracles like the author, but I do realize that others do. She repeatedly prodded at the fact that her daughter has not saved her. I felt as though the author was picking at clear sensitive areas to get a reaction she wanted out of her. I can only imagine the pain that poor mother was going through loosing her daughter at such an early age, knowing she will die from cancer soon and not knowing what will happen to her daughter after she passes. I am sure anyone would make up very strange rationalizations of it all. I would probably just go crazy.
Chapter 6
Harry Harlow's experiments disproved Skinner's theory that all actions are caused by stimulus such as hunger. There are other elements in play. His experiment showed that the love of a child to it mother is not based on the supplying of food. Touch is overwhelmingly more important, though it is not the only thing required. A baby monkey will attach itself to a comfortable surrogate mother even if it does not supply food. The babies grow up to be mentally unstable without any interaction with other monkeys even though as babies they are very happy with the surrogate mother. Harlow clearly did not see child rearing as very important when it turned out to be more complicated than he had thought. He continued research to see what exactly the elements were to create a normal adult monkey. Touch, movement and just thirty minutes of interaction with another monkey a day seemed to create a normal monkey. It was not until they had offspring that it was clear they were not normal. The mothers killed or neglected their offspring.
I believe that these experiments are incredibly unethical. Pain is pain no matter what the organism. They clearly were feeling pain and being completely mentally debilitated. That being said, the outcomes of the experiments help humans raise children and is rather beneficial over all. Do the end justify the means in this case? It is hard to say.
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