Experiment with apes
Posted: December 9th, 2005, 8:47 am
To study human behaviour patterns, some researchers have decided to use apes, one large cage, bananas, and a hose.
The idea was to hang the bananas to the roof of the cage. A ladder was there so that the apes had access to it, but an automatic device would activate the hose once an ape would reach the top of the ladder.
At the beginning of the experiment, a single ape is in the cage. He tries to get to the bananas, but as he gets to the top of the ladder, he activates the hose that unpleasantly hits him, preventing him from getting to the bananas.
A second ape is put in the cage. He sees the bananas and tries to get to the ladder but the first ape tries to prevent him from doing it, so that he doesn't get hosed down. But the newcomer wants the bananas, so he escalates the ladder, and gets hosed back down.
A third ape is put in the cage. He spots the bananas and wants to get up the ladder, but the two other apes physically prevent him from doing it every time he tries. After a while, he decided that if the two other apes are preventing him from trying to get the bananas, it must be for a good reason.
A fourth ape is put in the cage. He spots the bananas. The three first apes prevent him from getting to them even more firmly. After a while he resigns.
A fithh ape is put in the cage. Before he even thinks about looking up, he gets beaten by the four others.
From then on, everytime an extra ape is put in the cage, it automatically gets a beating, even after the bananas are removed. Only the first two apes knew about the hose, and only the next few others had understood that it was a bad idea to get them.
The experiment's objective was to study human behaviour patterns in enterprises and selective universities.
The idea was to hang the bananas to the roof of the cage. A ladder was there so that the apes had access to it, but an automatic device would activate the hose once an ape would reach the top of the ladder.
At the beginning of the experiment, a single ape is in the cage. He tries to get to the bananas, but as he gets to the top of the ladder, he activates the hose that unpleasantly hits him, preventing him from getting to the bananas.
A second ape is put in the cage. He sees the bananas and tries to get to the ladder but the first ape tries to prevent him from doing it, so that he doesn't get hosed down. But the newcomer wants the bananas, so he escalates the ladder, and gets hosed back down.
A third ape is put in the cage. He spots the bananas and wants to get up the ladder, but the two other apes physically prevent him from doing it every time he tries. After a while, he decided that if the two other apes are preventing him from trying to get the bananas, it must be for a good reason.
A fourth ape is put in the cage. He spots the bananas. The three first apes prevent him from getting to them even more firmly. After a while he resigns.
A fithh ape is put in the cage. Before he even thinks about looking up, he gets beaten by the four others.
From then on, everytime an extra ape is put in the cage, it automatically gets a beating, even after the bananas are removed. Only the first two apes knew about the hose, and only the next few others had understood that it was a bad idea to get them.
The experiment's objective was to study human behaviour patterns in enterprises and selective universities.