Computer Characters Tortured for Science 306
Rob Carr writes "Considered unethical to ever perform again with humans, researcher Mel Slater recreated the Milgram experiment in a immersive virtual environment. Subjects (some of whom could see and hear the computerized woman, others who were only able to read text messages from her) were told that they were interacting with a computer character and told to give increasingly powerful electric shocks when wrong answers were given or the 'woman' took too long to respond. The computer program would correspondingly complain and beg as the 'shocks' were ramped up, falling apparently unconscious before the last shock. The skin conductance and electrocardiograms of the subjects were monitored. Even though the subjects knew they were only 'shocking' a computer program, their bodies reacted with increased stress responses. Several of the ones who could see and hear the woman stopped before reaching the 'lethal' voltage, and about half considered stopping the study. The full results of the experimental report can be read online at PLoS One. Already, some (like William Dutton of the Oxford Internet Institute) are asking whether even this sanitized experiment is ethical."
Excellent... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Not torture. Entertainment. (Score:5, Funny)
Big Deal (Score:3, Funny)
What if it isn't really VR? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Not torture. Entertainment. (Score:2, Funny)
PETA (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Excellent... (Score:3, Funny)
seriously I read about it somewhere
They didn't mention the other participants (Score:5, Funny)
Oh dear...in a hundred years time... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Fun for everyone! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Unethical? (Score:4, Funny)
"What? You're kiding me, I don't believe it!"
"Really Sir, his name is John Row, he's a method actor from
"Lalalalala, I can't hear you."
"Sir? Sir?"
"God damn scientists, take away my fun."
Re:Not torture. Entertainment. (Score:5, Funny)
When he asks why I did it. I'll tell him it's the only way I can orgasm. [/Ichi]
I bet that'd throw his results off.
Re:Of course it's ethical (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Different subjects in the experiment... (Score:4, Funny)
Did subjects know about the BT experiment? (Score:1, Funny)
Slashdot says it's OK to violate copyright. So go ahead.