Torturing Children... for SCIENCE!

[TaoJoannes]

Guilt and Atonement on the Path to Adulthood

Here is an experiment you don’t want to try at home.

Show a toy — a doll, say, or a model boat — to a toddler and explain that it it’s something special you’ve had since you were little. Ask the child to be “very careful” with it. Hand over the toy, which appears to be in fine condition, except that you’ve secretly rigged it to break spectacularly as soon as the child handles it.

When your precious toy falls apart, express regret by mildly saying, “Oh, my.” Then sit still and observe the child.

Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/scien ... .html?_r=1

[Interloper]

Man, that's harsh. *

On the lighter side---
There was an incredibly realistic spoof on Saturday Night Live, ages ago, where they did a spot-on parody of the classic, original "Candid Camera" television series from the 1960s, starring CC creator Alan Funt.

In one of the "pranks," they had the Alan Funt character in a real kindergarten classroom full of children. In soto voce he says to the camera... "Look at all these adorable little kids! Today we're going to see what precious things they do on their very first day of kindergarten, when we tell them that they are adopted and that their mommy and daddy are not coming back for them! Heh heh."

Then follows a bunch of clips of how each child reacts. In the last one, a little girl in a ballerina tutu and crown is being told ..."I'm sorry sweetheart, but your mommy and daddy don't want you anymore, and they're leaving you here... You have to give me back the crown now, Princess..." The little girl looks blankly for a second, then bursts into "tears" and bawling.

No, no children were injured in the making of this sketch! They were all acting, with their parents sitting just off-camera.

[TaoJoannes]

Which reminds me of two others that involve children jumping out of windows.

Eddie the Flying Gimp from Outer Space on "The Idiot Box" with Alex WInter, who makes the kid think he can fly, only to land broken in a pile of hurt.

And one I think was Kids In The Hall, where these priests from an orphanage bring the kid in, tell him that they found him on the side of the road with "This special cape" and a note that said he's actually an alien and he can fly, and the kid puts on the cape and jumps out the window and they high five each other and bust up laughing.

I think those were actors in both cases, though.

Back on the topic of using real children for guinea pigs in social experiments, remember brown eyes vs. blue eyes?

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8gCJ4K4tnE
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWbxv4vlHe0