An experiment conducted in the early 1920s continues to astound people even today.
There have been numerous controversial psychology experiments throughout history.
Schrödinger’s Cat remains one of the most debated experiments ever performed.
In essence, the experiment explored quantum mechanics. Schrödinger posited that if you placed a cat and a lethal element (a radioactive atom) inside a sealed box, you would not be able to determine the cat’s state of being—whether dead or alive—until the box was opened, thus suggesting that the cat was simultaneously ‘dead and alive’.
Fortunately, no actual cats were used in the experiment, sparing any animals from harm. However, the same cannot be said for The Landis Facial Expression Experiment.
In 1924, psychologist Carney Landis sought to determine whether all humans exhibited the same facial expressions in response to identical emotions.
As a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, Landis enlisted several other psychology students to participate in his study.
He aimed to identify consistent patterns in facial expressions by drawing lines on the participants’ faces.
Landis then exposed them to various stimuli while photographing their reactions.
Initially, the stimuli were harmless; participants listened to jazz music, smelled ammonia, or read passages from the Bible, for instance.
However, the experiment took a darker turn when Landis introduced pornographic images and gruesome medical photos.
The most disturbing part came at the end. Participants were given a rat and a knife and instructed to decapitate the rodent. If they refused, Landis performed the act himself.
Following this, participants displayed a range of complex emotions. Some cried and gasped, while others laughed.
Despite subjecting participants to these extreme conditions, Landis’s experiment did not produce the results he had hoped for.
He concluded that people’s natural expressions ‘showed great differences among themselves,’ indicating no universal expressions for emotions like fear or pain.
Even a century later, people still discuss this controversial experiment.
One commenter on a YouTube documentary said: “We learned about this in my research methods in psych class when discussing ethics in research. I couldn’t believe it was a real thing.”
Another person referred to the rat aspect of the experiment as ‘a rather nasty bit of work,’ while someone else described the entire endeavor as ‘twisted.’