Famous Psychology Experiments

Perry et al. explored the effects of oxytocin on people’s preferred interpersonal distances, focusing on differences between individuals with high versus low empathy levels.

Fagen et al. wanted to investigate if secondary positive reinforcement (SPR) could train captive elephants to voluntarily participate in trunk washes for tuberculosis testing.

Hassett et al.’s (2008) research explores the idea that pre-existing preferences, potentially shaped by biological factors like prenatal hormone exposure, can actively influence an individual’s developmental environment, which in turn shapes subsequent experiences and choices.

Hölzel et al. (2011) used a longitudinal design to track changes in the same group of participants over time, allowing them to observe how mindfulness practices might directly influence brain structure.

Pozzulo’s study investigates how children’s developing memory and cognitive abilities, in comparison to those of adults, affect their accuracy in eyewitness identification tasks, particularly in legal contexts.