better than mine. My FB is littered with bird photo of the day, gnomes, birthday cakes, cute puppies and homecoming pictures. sigh

The fact that my Facebook feed is littered with posts about the government shutdown and other political issues implies that at least some users utilize it as a forum for debate or the expression of opinions. It is debatable whether the users that don't post in this way can claim that Facebook is simply a place to keep in touch and avoid weighty issues. In all fairness, only the Facebook users willing to debate and express opinions can be compared to Gulch users. Among those that I know very few are willing to think things through the way Gulch users are. More simply put, "what LS said".

Thinking, critically, just isn't "fun" for them. I'm so glad I'm not them.

I would actually expect the monkeys to start fighting amongst each other trying to use the other monkey to set off the shock.

I was thinking sort of like that. People go on facebook to goof around I believe. They don't want to think. We like to be challenged.

problems: cage 1. as the shock increases as well as hunger, the monkeys will begin to play a waiting game. the more clever monkey will wait until the other monkey is incapacitated by the electrical shock and eat the banana. If said monkey is into pain avoidance.
In cage 2: the more dominant monkey(or both monkeys) will likely attack the researcher for the banana.
also, I think cage 1 does not act as the best "control"

Logic vs Emotion

Cage 2 :-)

What conclusions should we draw from the fact that you posted this as a story here and got 6 responses--some very well thought out. You posted the actual experiment on facebook and got no serious responses.

I did actually get a "neither" answer, but alas, it came without explanation.

Excellent reasoning. Another flaw in the set up is that there is a distinct possibility that no monkey in either cage would kill the other.

The premise that I want to test is, in fact, that involuntary socialism stunts both intellectual and emotional maturity, and as a result violence is more likely to erupt within the socialist cage.

How would you alter the experiment if you wanted evidence for or against that premise?

hmmmmm.... see?

The original premise is too vague to really make a prediction.

I am assuming that the monkey that loses one banana, is experiencing Socialism. And that the "researcher" is the government.

Then: the question is how long will the button pushing monkey tolerate giving up half of his earnings, for the sake of getting a banana?

And...if he accepts the loss of half of his earnings until the shock increases, will he just get rid of his 'homeless' cage inhabitant, hoping to either get all of the reward, or less of the shock?

Pointless...since it could very well be that the button pushing monkey is 'cool' with one of the bananas, and not give it any further thought.

The "researcher" may not really have a role....

If the shock is only given to the button-pusher, then my answer would be cage 2.

In cage 1, each monkey will press the button when the value of the bananas exceeds the pain of the shock. The other monkey is unaffected.

In cage 2, there will be a sort of reverse prisoner's dilemma (Can I outlast the other monkey, and thereby get a banana without a shock?) There is a strong disincentive to push the button, but the same benefit (a banana) is given to both so long as the button is pushed.

No comment

Let it suffice to say that you could never 'spank the monkey'.

But, I could!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfuBREMXx...
dancin

boy oh boy

urban or webster's collegiate? I already have a migrem

trouty mouth. score, live.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PCb4U05i...

The Monkey will only take one banana. I do have Peter Gabriel singing Shock the Monkey in my head though.

You, and I, are the two that bought the album!

He was too cerebral for everyone else...!

I catfish. grew up on the Mississippi. tom sawyer. cuz why would I not ask others to do what I wanted?

I only know it from Glee.