This study is commonly cited in methodology textbooks as a good example of bad experimental design. Brady did not randomly assign monkeys to conditions; instead, the monkeys who responded most quickly were assigned to be the "executives," which could have been the crucial confound (e.g., the more rapid responders may have been more anxious, and in turn been more ulcer prone). As noted in previous TIPS messages, others (including my Emory psychiatry colleague Jay Weiss) were unable to replicate the Brady findings, so to my knowledge no major researchers take them seriously anymore.
Here are two descriptions (hopefully, folks can access them): http://books.google.com/books?id=NyNCEWFs--YC&pg=PA164&lpg=PA164&dq=brady+executive+monkey+flaw&source=bl&ots=-YfjuN3T5y&sig=Ntgk7aD0NNvzlK4x5Vlljc1ibh4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=7ovUUIyZMIn89QSSpoH4DQ&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=brady%20executive%20monkey%20flaw&f=false http://books.google.com/books?id=nww5AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA162&lpg=PA162&dq=brady+executive+monkey+study+flaw&source=bl&ots=rmAu3qWlqX&sig=w579Fnn9U19abQG5L97zFdfWhmQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=UYzUUIquHoTM9QSk7oDwCg&ved=0CCMQ6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=brady%20executive%20monkey%20study%20flaw&f=false ....Scott Scott O. Lilienfeld, Ph.D. Professor Department of Psychology, Room 473 Emory University 36 Eagle Row Atlanta, Georgia 30322 [email protected]; 404-727-1125 The Master in the Art of Living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his intellectual passions. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him - he is always doing both. - Zen Buddhist text (slightly modified) -----Original Message----- From: Michael Britt [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, December 21, 2012 11:14 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: Re: [tips] Stressed out Monkeys Thanks Mike. I'll definitely have to check into these additional resources. I read the Scientific American summary of the research by the authors and the results he said he found was that the monkeys who knew when the shocks were coming and who could do something to avoid them got MORE ulcers than the monkeys who were yoked to them and could do nothing to avoid the shocks. I thought the results were the other way around. Perhaps future researchers discovered this (or were unable to replicate as you suggest below). MOre investigation needed apparently. Michael A. Britt, Ph.D. [email protected] http://www.ThePsychFiles.com Twitter: mbritt On Dec 21, 2012, at 10:30 AM, Mike Palij <[email protected]> wrote: > On Fri, 21 Dec 2012 05:23:12 -0800, Michael Britt wrote: > >Does anybody remember? What was that study in which monkeys were > >slightly >> shocked - one monkey knew when the shock was coming but the other one >> received the exact same number of shocks but didn't know when it was >> coming? The latter monkey showed more signs of stress, indicating >> that this element of unpredictability was really the important factor in >> stressful events? >> Anyone know the original study on this? appreciate it, > > The original article that was summarized in the Scientific American article > is: > > Brady, .I.V., Porter, R.W., Conrad, D.G., and Mason, J.W.: > Avoidance behavior and the development of gastroduodenal ulcer. > J. Exper. Anal. Behav., 1:69-72, 1958. > > One of the main problems with the research was that it was hard to > replicate; see: > > Foltz, E.L. and Millett, F.E., Experimental psycho~matic disease > states in monkeys. I. Peptic ulcer- 'executive monkeys', J. Surg. > Res., 4 (1964) 445-453. > > Quoting from Foltz & Millett: > > |Our results do not support Brady's conclusions, that performance by > |rhesus monkeys on a conditioned avoidance schedule of six hours "on" > |and six hours "off" should produce peptic ulceration. > |Conditions in our laboratory resembled those environmental conditions > |described by Brady as closely as we could make them, and our > |conditioned avoidance program was identical. > > For a comprehensive review of this and other research on the effects > of stress see: > G.B. Glavin, R. Murison, J.B. Overmier, W.P. Pare, H.K. Bakke, R.G. > Henke, D.E. Hernandez The neurobiology of stress ulcers Review Article > Brain Research Reviews, Volume 16, Issue 3, September-December 1991, > Pages 301-343 > > -Mike Palij > New York University > [email protected] > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13405.0125141592fa9ededc665c55d9958f > 69&n=T&l=tips&o=22483 or send a blank email to > leave-22483-13405.0125141592fa9ededc665c55d9958f69@fsulist.frostburg.e > du --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13509.d0999cebc8f4ed4eb54d5317367e9b2f&n=T&l=tips&o=22484 or send a blank email to leave-22484-13509.d0999cebc8f4ed4eb54d5317367e9...@fsulist.frostburg.edu ________________________________ This e-mail message (including any attachments) is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. 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