The Most Brutal Psychology Experiments in History

1. University of California Schizophrenia Drug Experiment

In 1983, researchers at UCLA studied 50 schizophrenia patients to see if symptoms like delusions and hallucinations would improve without medication. One participant committed suicide, and another threatened his parents. The lack of clear warnings about symptom severity upon medication withdrawal sparked ethical criticism.

2. University of Minnesota’s Starvation Experiment

During WWII, University of Minnesota researchers investigated the effects of starvation. Participants were semi-starved for three months, followed by unrestricted feeding. The results included a 25% body weight loss, irritability, and depression. Some developed binge eating disorders and severe depression, with one participant even self-harming.

3. Aversion Therapy

In 1962, British officer Billy Clegg-Hill, accused of homosexuality (then illegal in the UK), underwent aversion therapy using electric shocks to “cure” his orientation. He died partly from lack of blood flow to the brain. Survivors reported feeling poisoned and struggled with intimacy.

4. The Monster Study

In 1938, Mary Tudor from the University of Iowa tested whether stuttering was a brain disorder or learned behavior. She had non-stuttering orphaned children speak with a stutter, leading to academic decline and fear of speaking in some. This failure of the study later earned it the nickname “The Monster Study.”

5. Stanford Prison Experiment

In 1971, Stanford University students were assigned roles of prisoners and guards in a simulated prison. Within 24 hours, guards suppressed a rebellion with force, becoming harsh and authoritarian. Signs of emotional distress among the prisoners led to halting the experiment after five days.

6. Harvard’s Inferiority Complex Study on Unabomber

Theodore Kaczynski, later known as the Unabomber, was a participant in Harvard’s 1959 experiment on inferiority, designed to humiliate participants. Some suggest this experiment contributed to Kaczynski’s later violence, though it remains speculative.

7. Pit of Despair

In the 1950s, psychologist Harry Harlow isolated baby rhesus monkeys in cages for a year, aiming to show children’s need for motherly affection. The monkeys endured severe psychological distress and later developed mental health issues. These experiments were halted for ethical reasons.

8. Milgram’s Obedience Experiment

Inspired by WWII atrocities, psychologist Stanley Milgram tested obedience by instructing participants to give electric shocks to a “learner” (an actor). Although no real shocks were administered, many participants later reported psychological trauma.

9. Schizophrenia Shock Therapy in Children

In the 1940s and 1950s, Dr. Lauretta Bender tested shock therapy on over 500 schizophrenic children, some as young as three. The treatment worsened some children’s mental health, leading to memory loss and self-harm, with one nine-year-old attempting suicide twice.

10. CIA Mind Control Experiments

During the Cold War, the CIA conducted unauthorized mind control experiments, including administering LSD, heroin, and mescaline to participants without their knowledge. Electroshock was also used, causing paranoia, coma, insanity, and even death in some cases.

These experiments underscore the importance of ethical standards in psychological research to protect participants from harm.