This thought-provoking social experiment with 5 monkeys reveals the true nature of human behavior and explains a lot about our society.

A group of scientists placed 5 monkeys in a cage and in the middle, a ladder with bananas on the top.

Every time a monkey went up the ladder, the scientists soaked the rest of the monkeys with cold water.

After a while, every time a monkey went up the ladder, the others beat up the one on the ladder.

After some time, no monkey dare to go up the ladder regardless of the temptation.

Scientists then decided to substitute one of the monkeys. The 1stthing this new monkey did was to go up the ladder. Immediately the other monkeys beat him up.

After several beatings, the new member learned not to climb the ladder even though he never knew why.

A 2ndmonkey was substituted and the same occurred. The 1stmonkey participated on the beating for the 2ndmonkey. A 3rdmonkey was changed and the same was repeated (beating). The 4thwas substituted and the beating was repeated and finally, the 5thmonkey was replaced.

What was left was a group of 5 monkeys that even though never received a cold shower, continued to beat up any monkey who attempted to climb the ladder.

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW THE EXPERIMENT

5 Monkeys Social Experiment

If it was possible to ask the monkeys why they would beat up all those who attempted to go up the ladder … I bet you the answer would be …“I don’t know — that’s how things are done around here”Does it sound familiar?

Don’t miss the opportunity to share this with others as they might be asking themselves why we continue to do what we are doing if there is a different way out there.



This seems like an experiment, but now I’m wondering…Was this experiment ever conducted? If not, was any similar experiment conducted that shows the same effect?

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This Post Has One Comment

  1. Shane

    Apparently, there was an experiment done with fairly inconclusive results (particularly if you consider the sample size), but it is only remotely similar to the commonly repeated story described in this article. There’s an article at “throwcasE” titled ‘That “Five Monkeys Experiment” Never Happened’ that does a good job of explaining the real experiment and how it morphed into the popular one that many people accept as true.

    However, I’ve heard of a different experiment “proving” the same idea. I’m trying to verify it’s authenticity and I cannot find it anywhere. My search is what brought me here because you asked “was any similar experiment conducted that shows the same effect?”

    The one I am looking for involves a group of monkeys in a room with a fence that is electrified several feet up. Naturally, the monkeys are conditioned not to climb on the fence. As one monkey is swapped out with a new one, the remaining monkeys don’t allow the new one to climb on the fence and pull him down when he tries. Just like the the story above, all the monkeys are swapped out one at a time until none remain that know the fence is electrified but still don’t allow each other to climb.

    After reading about the real experiment that inspired the fake one, I doubt the one I described ever happened, but it’s still weird that I can’t find it anywhere. Perhaps that’s a good thing if it’s bogus.

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