Milgram's study, virtual redux

[Grenadier]

Many of y'all remember Milgram's study from the 20th century, where test subjects were to administer "shocks" to someone in another room if that someone gave an incorrect answer to a question.

Here's a link to Milgram's study.

Looks like Slater, et. al., have re-created this, but this time with a virtual simulation.

http://www.nature.com/news/2006/061218/full/061218-17.html

What's interesting, is that everyone knew that it's only a VR simulation, yet those who saw the virtual woman in "pain," from the shocks, were much more likely to cease administering shocks, and that the natural reactions and discomfort from the test subjects (the ones who administered the shocks) were quite genuine.

It's quite impressive, that people's senses of morality apply even to a computer simulation.

So maybe I wasn't alone in feeling horribly rotten, when playing the computer role playing game "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" when I forced myself to play as a dark sider, especially towards the end!

 

[CoryKS]

Many of y'all remember Milgram's study from the 20th century, where test subjects were to administer "shocks" to someone in another room if that someone gave an incorrect answer to a question.

Here's a link to Milgram's study.

Looks like Slater, et. al., have re-created this, but this time with a virtual simulation.

http://www.nature.com/news/2006/061218/full/061218-17.html

What's interesting, is that everyone knew that it's only a VR simulation, yet those who saw the virtual woman in "pain," from the shocks, were much more likely to cease administering shocks, and that the natural reactions and discomfort from the test subjects (the ones who administered the shocks) were quite genuine.

It's quite impressive, that people's senses of morality apply even to a computer simulation.

So maybe I wasn't alone in feeling horribly rotten, when playing the computer role playing game "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" when I forced myself to play as a dark sider, especially towards the end!

You and me both. My wife got me a copy of Hitman for PS2. Told the clerk I liked Splinter Cell, and he recommended it. Splinter Cell never bothered me, but Hitman is... problematic. There's a big difference between shooting enemy combatants and executing civilians, even if they're virtual. This game bothers me more the longer I play it, and I probably won't be playing much longer.