The Forbidden Toy
The experimenter would question the child on a set of toys to gauge
which toys the children liked the most and which they found the least tempting.
The experimenter then chose a toy that the children really liked, put them
in a room with it, and left the room.
Upon leaving the room the experimenter
told half the children that there would be a severe punishment
if they
played with the toy ,and told the other half that there would be a moderate
punishment.
which toys the children liked the most and which they found the least tempting.
The experimenter then chose a toy that the children really liked, put them
in a room with it, and left the room.
Upon leaving the room the experimenter
told half the children that there would be a severe punishment
if they
played with the toy ,and told the other half that there would be a moderate
punishment.
Later, when the punishment, whether severe or moderate, was removed,
the children in the moderate punishment condition were less likely to play
with the toy,
even though now it had no repercussion.
the children in the moderate punishment condition were less likely to play
with the toy,
even though now it had no repercussion.
When questioned, the children in the moderate condition expressed more of a
disinterest in the toy
than would be expected towards a toy that they had
initially ranked high in interest.
Alternatively, the desirability of the
toy went up for the children in the severe punishment condition
disinterest in the toy
than would be expected towards a toy that they had
initially ranked high in interest.
Alternatively, the desirability of the
toy went up for the children in the severe punishment condition
Why people do wrong things even though they know that it is wrong?
The children threatened with the severe punishment had a good external
reasoning for not playing with the toy because they knew
that they would be
badly punished for it.
However, they still wanted the toy, so once the
punishment was removed they were more likely to play with it.
Conversely,
the children who would get the moderate punishment displayed insufficient
justification because they
had to justify to themselves why they did not
want to play with the toy since the external motivator,
the degree of
punishment, was not strong enough by itself.
As a result, they convinced
themselves that the toy was not worth playing with,
which is why even when
the punishment was removed they still did not play with the toy.
reasoning for not playing with the toy because they knew
that they would be
badly punished for it.
However, they still wanted the toy, so once the
punishment was removed they were more likely to play with it.
Conversely,
the children who would get the moderate punishment displayed insufficient
justification because they
had to justify to themselves why they did not
want to play with the toy since the external motivator,
the degree of
punishment, was not strong enough by itself.
As a result, they convinced
themselves that the toy was not worth playing with,
which is why even when
the punishment was removed they still did not play with the toy.
Are we convincing ourselves that what we do is worth doing just
because we are not suppose to do it?
because we are not suppose to do it?
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