read this if you are interested in….disturbing human behavior
Trigger Warning, some humans are assholes, and some humans can break our hearts
1. The Marshmallow Experiment (1972) – Self-Control & Delayed Gratification
Conducted by: Walter Mischel at Stanford University
In this famous study, preschool-aged children were placed in a room with a marshmallow (or another treat) and told they could eat it immediately or wait until the experimenter returned, in which case they’d receive two marshmallows instead of one.
Findings:
Some children resisted temptation, distracting themselves or covering their eyes. Others gave in and ate the marshmallow.
Follow-up studies found that children who waited longer tended to have better life outcomes in areas like academic success, emotional regulation, and social skills.
However, later research suggests that environment and trust play a role—children raised in unstable conditions may have learned that waiting doesn’t always guarantee a reward.
💡 Why it matters: The ability to delay gratification is linked to self-regulation, impulse control, and future success, but it’s also shaped by life experience.
2. The Still Face Experiment (1975) – Attachment & Emotional Regulation
Conducted by: Dr. Edward Tronick
In this heart-wrenching experiment, a mother plays with her baby, engaging in warm, responsive interaction. Then, suddenly, she goes emotionally still—her face goes blank, she stops reacting.
Findings:
At first, the baby keeps trying to engage, smiling and reaching out.
When the mother doesn’t respond, the baby becomes distressed, fidgeting, crying, or even looking away to self-soothe.
When the mother re-engages, the baby often recovers, but prolonged still-face interactions (or chronic emotional unavailability) can lead to emotional dysregulation in development.
💡 Why it matters: Babies rely on co-regulation—the emotional back-and-forth between caregiver and child—to develop secure attachment, emotional resilience, and trust in relationships.
3. The Asch Conformity Experiment (1951) – Social Pressure & Conformity
Conducted by: Solomon Asch
Participants were placed in a group and shown a simple visual task: choosing which of three lines matched the length of a target line. But here’s the twist—other members of the group (who were in on the experiment) deliberately gave the wrong answer.
Findings:
About 75% of participants conformed at least once, choosing the wrong answer just to go along with the group.
When participants wrote their answers privately (without peer pressure), their accuracy improved.
💡 Why it matters: Humans are wired for social belonging, often choosing to conform even when they know something is wrong. This experiment sheds light on groupthink, peer pressure, and the power of dissent.
4. The Milgram Experiment (1961) – Obedience to Authority
Conducted by: Stanley Milgram
Participants were instructed to administer electric shocks (which were fake) to a “learner” (an actor) whenever they answered a question incorrectly. As the shocks increased in intensity, the learner screamed in pain, begged to stop, or went silent. Participants were encouraged to continue by an authoritative figure in a lab coat.
Findings:
65% of participants obeyed instructions and continued to administer the highest level of shocks, even when they believed they were causing serious harm.
Many were visibly distressed but continued because an authority figure told them to.
💡 Why it matters: This experiment revealed the dark side of obedience, explaining how ordinary people can commit harmful acts under authoritative pressure—important for understanding events like war crimes and systemic abuses.
5. The Bobo Doll Experiment (1961) – Observational Learning & Aggression
Conducted by: Albert Bandura
Children watched an adult play aggressively with a Bobo doll (a large inflatable toy)—punching, kicking, and verbally attacking it. Later, the children were placed in a room with the same doll.
Findings:
Children who witnessed the aggressive behavior were more likely to imitate it, hitting and yelling at the doll themselves.
Those who saw a non-aggressive adult played more calmly.
💡 Why it matters: This study demonstrated social learning theory—children model behavior they observe, showing how media, role models, and environment shape aggression and social behavior.
6. The Invisible Gorilla Experiment (1999) – Inattentional Blindness
Conducted by: Daniel Simons & Christopher Chabris
Participants watched a short video of people passing a basketball and were asked to count the number of passes. In the middle of the video, a person in a gorilla suit walked through the scene, stopped, beat their chest, and left.
Findings:
About 50% of participants didn’t notice the gorilla at all!
This study showed that when we focus intensely on one task, we can completely miss obvious things happening right in front of us.
💡 Why it matters: Our perception isn’t as reliable as we think, and attention is limited—important for understanding distractions, eyewitness testimony, and cognitive bias.