Office Hours - Abnormal Psychology

[romanywitch]

Jenny is sitting in a bare office, and is typing happily away on her laptop, updating herself on all the new computer technology she's been missing out on.

ETA: The post is closed to new interaction. If you've already commented, then by all means, let's continue the conversation. But it's closed to anyone new. That's because I'm going to be sending out another email soon.

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[romanywitch]

Jenny opens up her laptop and checks out Paige and Jack's proposal. "I like your initial idea," she says, closing the laptop back up again. "But 'fear' just has so many icky connotations. How do you guys think you could revise this so it could pass an Ethics Board?"

[the4thsister.livejournal.com]

Paige thinks for a few moments, "did they have an Ethics Board when Milgram did his stuff?"

She sighs a little, mainly cos she's tired, "well what if we offered some sort of follow-up after care type thing? To make they were okay also they could be briefed that everything would be okay before the experiement started and they could call a stop to it at any time, maybe?"

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"Actually, I was thinking of making the threat a little less... threatening. What if we made it sort of a gambling thing? You get people to pay in their own money, with the promise of a bigger payoff. But every word they miss from the list loses them money. People losing money can panic a lot without actually hurting themselves."

[the4thsister.livejournal.com]

"Ooh I like that idea, that's really good and for some people losing money would probably be just as important if not more than getting hurt. Excellent idea Jack!"

She turns to Jenny, "would have be okay?"

[romanywitch]

Jenny looks thoughtful. "Asking people to risk their own money to participate in your class project? That's not going to go over so well. Try to come up with a different kind of incentive. But you guys are definitely on the right track."

[the4thsister.livejournal.com]

"well we could give it back to them, like I said with the first idea, we weren;t actually going to punish anyone, it's more to see the idea of losing something or being hurt will have enough of an effect."

[romanywitch]

Jenny shakes her head. "I said no once already, guys. Don't make me say it again. Give me some other suggestions."

[the4thsister.livejournal.com]

Paige looks slightly confused by this reaction she'd only tried to clarify the idea, "okay no problem, we'll go work on it some more, right Jack?"

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack thinks. "Well, it isn't going to get the same level of results, but frankly you give people 15 beans and tell them they lose one for every word they get wrong and people get amazingly competative. They get really worked up over 'winning' in an abstract way."

Why no, no, the mun didn't just get back from Vegas, why do you ask?

[romanywitch]

"You're absolutely right," says Jenny. "Maybe they can trade the beans in for door prizes at the end of the experiment. How well do you think that would work out?"