In trying to teach the insidious impact of racism, did the experiment itself damage students? She wanted to show her students that an arbitrarily established difference could separate them and pit them against each other. Why or why not? Children are able to understand discrimination and its negative consequences. According to the blue eyes brown eyes experiment, it is not a nice feeling to belong to the inferior group in society. In workshops Elliott led, there were indelible moments of joy and tears, affirmation and recrimination, hugging and screaming. For all other types of cookies we need your permission. In fact, Elliott encouraged them, based on the childrens newly granted superiority or inferiority. I felt mad. The purpose of this exercise was to put the kids in the same predicament as the colored and the people that is not colored. Elliott split her students into two groups, based on eye color. Another unethical thing that Tudor did was not tell these orphans that they were apart of a study. When I interviewed Riceville residents, mentioning Elliotts name generated outbursts of anger and anguish. Jane Elliott, one of the most controversial figures in U.S. education and diversity training, began her journey to international acclaim in Riceville, Iowa. This experiment has taken place in a classroom- field experiment -as well as in the school playground, very realistic places for an experiment to have great external validity because it applies to every life. Include your name and daytime phone number, and a link to the article youre responding to. Jane Elliot's 'The Blue Eyes and Brown Eyes Experiment' was unethical in that she created a segregated environment in a third grade classroom. What were the ethical concerns involved in Milgram's experiment? This way, she successfully created two distinct groups in her classroom: The consequences of the minimal group became evident very quickly. Brown-eyed people, she told the students, are smarter, more civilized and better than blue-eyed people. The first thing that Jane Elliott did was divide the children into groups: those with blue eyes and those with brown eyes. Debriefing. 120 Schaeffer Hall Professor of Journalism, University of Iowa. Perhaps because the outcome seemed so optimistic and comforting, coverage of Elliott and the experiments alleged curative powers cropped up everywhere. She asked them if they would like to experience what it felt like to be in a person of colors shoes. Two months after trying it out, Elliott appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, followed by an appearance in an award-winning network TV documentary, and a headline-making White House conference on education. Its not surprising to anyone that some social groups discriminate against others due to ethnicity, religion, or culture. In doing the research for my book with scores of peoples who were participants in the experiment, I reached out to Elliott. Blue and brown eye experiment Rating: 6,6/10 1724 reviews The "blue eyes/brown eyes" exercise is a well-known experiment in which a teacher, Jane Elliott, taught a lesson on discrimination to her third-grade students by dividing them into . Iowa City, IA 52242-1409 In this article, we'll explain what happened during the experiment and discuss its consequences. What aspects of the Stanford prison experiment are unethical? Consequently, the brown-eyed children started using blue-eyes as an insult. What happened in A Class Divided? What ethical standards were violated in Milgram's obedience experiment? The same experiment was also used a couple of years later with adults. Elliot said that when the children were given the test on the same day that they were in the superior group, they tended to get the highest scores. Elliott first created stereotyping situation among the children by separating them into two groups by easily recognized physical traits as blue eyes and brown eyes. How do the results of the experiment contribute to Jane Elliotts lesson to her students? If you white folks want to be treated the way blacks are in this society, stand. What ethical standards did the Monster Study violate? What have researchers proposed as a way to reduce the likelihood of such ethical problems? b. She told the blue-eyed kids that theyd have to use paper cups if they wanted to drink from the water fountain. Why did people shock others in Stanley Milgram's experiment? It is quite powerful to watch. Todays efforts to teach anti-racism through diversity, equity, and inclusion workshops face some of the same blowback. Elliott was featured on nearly every national news show in America for decades. Please tell us your thoughts. On the second day, Elliott switched the students roles. Do you think it affects ethical concerns if the assignment is random? In your view, does studying ethics lead to a better society? Thousands of educators across the United States folded the experiment into their curriculums. When this happens, there is a 1 in 4 chance that these parents will have a bb child with blue eyes. What is the blue eyes brown eyes experiment? The Blue Eyes Brown Eyes exercise is now known as the inspiration for diversity training in the workplace, making Jane Elliott one of the most influential educators in recent American history. Explain why standardization, reliability, and validity are all essential to scientifically acceptable psychological tests. If you had a good German name, but you had brown eyes, they threw you into the gas chamber because they thought you might be a Jewish person who was trying to pass. Julie Pasicznyk, who had been working for telecommunications company US West in Minneapolis, was hesitant to enroll in Elliotts workshop, but was told that if she wanted to succeed as a manager, shed have to attend. Collectively, the experiments were called Project MKUltra and were officially sponsored by the CIA. She told them that people with brown eyes were superior to those with blue eyes, for reasons she made up. The anti-racism sessions Elliott led were intense. Why do you believe that researchers would want to see if there is a correlation rather than just fully testing each variable? We may edit your letter for length and clarity and publish it on our site. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. When asked what's wrong with being called brown eyes, the response was because it means that (brown-eyed) people are stupider. Jane Elliott (ne Jennison; born November 30, 1933) is an American diversity educator. Why good people engage in unethical behavior? It remains an important reminder of the need to challenge and combat these harmful forces in our society. Blue Eye/Brown Eye is an experiment performed by Jane Elliot in 1968 on the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated to demonstrate what prejudice was to her third grade class. CLAS Undergraduate Programs Barbie had to have a Ken, so Elliott picked from the audience a tall, handsome man and accused him of doing the same things with his female subordinates, Pasicznyk said. Students in the inferior groups were more likely to get a worse score. Analytics cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously. The nonstop parade of sickening events such as the murder of George Floyd surely is not going to be abated by a quickie experiment led by a white person for the alleged benefit of other whites as was the case with the blue-eyed, brown eyed experiment. All rights reserved. Brown eyes + blue eyes = 50% chance of blue eyes, but only if the brown-eyed parent carries a blue-eyed gene. Login, For undergraduate concerns and questions: Describe the Milgram Experiment, its results, and how it may have been unethical. Elliott was a schoolteacher in Riceville, Iowa, a small town with a population of 806, in 1968. How do the results of the experiment contribute to Jane Elliotts lesson to her students? Did Milgram conduct his shock experiment in an ethical fashion? Change). This was by design: to hammer home the experiments anti-bias premise, Elliott made shocking allegations against participants. I just discovered that PBS provides the entire documentary "A Class Divided" online. You may also want to experiment with a shimmer or glitter eyeshadow - this can help to make hazel eyes sparkle and take them to the next level. What questions about the Milgram experiment did critics raise? Considering all the stereotypes and prejudices that exist, what kind of damage is being done? Thats how it started, and thats how it went all day long. The Blue Eyes Brown Eyes exercise received national attention shortly after it ended. Views 1588. Undeterred, Elliott tried to appeal to Pauls self-interest. Children often fight, argue, and sometimes hit each other, but this time they were motivated by eye color. Give at least three different classes of reasons why we do a correlational study instead of an experiment. The blue-eyed participants faced discrimination for two and a half hours. The brown-eyed kids would now be considered inferior. What are some of the ethical issues of DNA analysis? She has made statements about the increase in hate crimes and racism in recent years. They gossiped about her in the hallway. On average, what eye color is deemed to be most attractive in humans? However, in this classroom, having blue-eyes had become a condition of inferiority. The blue-eyed students wouldnt be allowed second helpings in the cafeteria. But Elliotts experiment had a more sinister impact. Did We Fail the Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes ExperimentOr Did It Fail Us? Normally, blue-eyes isnt an insult. Throughout the day, Elliott continued to give the children with blue eyes special treatment. What was the reason behind the Schachter affiliation study? In the initial exercise, brown eyed students were allowed to. Why Did Jane Elliott Choose Eye Color To Divide Her Students? She divided her class into two groups - blue eyed people and brown eyed people. What did the Milgram experiment show about the influence authority can have on the average person? With this experiment she wanted to let the blue-eyed people (white people) feel how it is to be in low power position. A) Explain why or why not. The experiment was to be a division of eye colour starting with blue eyed student having superiority and then the following day, the roles would be reversed. Why is it important to have ethical requirements for research studies involving human subjects? Blue eyes brown eyes experiment psychology. How do I install Adblock Plus on Internet Explorer 11? She was a standing-room-only speaker at hundreds of colleges and universities. Their teacher, Jane Elliott, wanted to teach her third-graders a lesson in discrimination, so she told them that blue-eyed people were superior to those with brown eyes. The kids in the bottom group became timider and kept to themselves. The experiment also had an academic effect. (Optional) Attach an image to your letter. Initial Reaction to the Blue Eyes Brown Eyes Exercise. It also shows how arbitrary and subjective things can turn friends, family members, and citizens against each other. Using the correlational method, we could observe that the more the lower class was being discriminated, the more the higher class was feeling well and superior. People with grey eyes are perceived to be the smartest. What made the Aversion Project unethical? It has since evolved into an online blog and YouTube channel providing mental health advice, tools, and academic support to individuals from all backgrounds. He teaches magazine reporting and writing, and media ethics in a digital age. Youve probably heard different versions of it. Why is it difficult to distinguish genetic from experiential influences? How can put those little children through that exercise for a day? And they seem unable to relate the sympathy that theyre feeling for these little white children for a day to what happens to children of color in this society for a lifetime or to the fact that they are doing this to children based on skin color every day. These are the sources and citations used to research Jane Elliott's blue eye brown eye case study is/isn't more ethical than Zimbardo's Stanford prison experiment. Voir les partenaires de TheConversation France. All participants had an equal chance of taking part in any condition- Random Assignment to Condition-which increases the internal validity of the study. A) Why is it important that an experimenter behave in the same way toward all subjects in the experiment? This is the phrase that inspired one of the most well-known experiments in education. Why is Jane Elliots experiment unethical? What was unethical about the blue eyes brown eyes experiment? During the 1970s and 1980s in the United States workshops such as Elliotts gained popularity in and out of the corporate world. Jane Elliott's Blue Eyes and Brown Eyes experiment was a turning point in social psychology. Why do we use qualitative research methods? How is the blue eyes/brown eyes exercise related to the Sioux prayer, Help me not judge a person until I have walked in his shoes? By continuing to use our website, you agree to our privacy and cookie policy. Shy brown eyed students became more confident and talkative, and outgoing blue eyed students became quieter. The Blue Eyes and Brown Eyes Experiment is considered unethical since it caused psychological damage to the children who were pitted against one See full answer below. She told them that people with brown eyes were superior to those with blue eyes, for reasons she made up. Elliott said that blue-eyed people were less intelligent and less clean. For many, the experiment went horribly awry. I interviewed Julie Pasicznyk, who had been working for US West, a giant telecommunications company in Minneapolis. What is the difference between blue eyed and brown eyed students? Elliott asked her students to write about their experiences for the local newspaper. From the University of California Press website: The never-before-told true story of Jane Elliott and the Blue-Eyes, Brown-Eyes Experiment she made world-famous, using eye color to simulate racism. Pasicznyk joined 75 other telecommunication employees for a training session that lasted three days in a Denver suburb during the mid-1980s. In what is now famously known as the "blue eyes, brown eyes" exercise, Elliott divided her class into two groups based on a characteristic over which they had no control: eye color. Why is it difficult to conduct experimental research in education? A Class Divided portrays the reunion of a group of students who had taken part in a bold experiment in 1970. Download. At points, you are likely to feel uncomfortable. This site uses different types of cookies. People left crying, remembered Pasicznyk. While the study provided interesting information on the development of bias and discrimination, it was unethical to cause psychological harm to children. Amrita. Theyd have to use paper cups if they drank from the water fountain. Thus, the dominant group, supported by the authorities, will always have the upper hand. c. What was concluded by Milgram after this experiment? Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. This was the smaller group. It's called the "Blue Eyes - Brown Eyes" exercis. Participants described her hurling insults at them, particularly those who were white and had blue eyes. Iowa City, IA 52242-1409 The experiment was conducted to determine how children learned bias and prejudice. Summarize Milgram's shock experiment in your own words. Is there a radio station that plays calm music? The class of third graders are told that blue-eyed people are smarter and better than brown-eyed people. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Why is cheating in an exam or essay wrong for Kant. Explain briefly. Their response is to create dichotomies of inferiority and superiority. Mrs Jane has attempted to understand the discriminated group from the inside, which is why she did not intervene by any means. What questions about the Milgram experiment did critics raise? There were more brown-eyed students in the room. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968, Jane Elliott, a primary school teacher in a small predominantly white town in the state of Iowa, decided to help her third grader students (Year 4 in the UK) understand how society can influence our beliefs about our own identities and the identities of our neighbours. Jane Elliott has done a lot of reflection about the consequences of the minimal group experiment. She manipulated us, recalled Sandy Juettner, another US West employee enrolled in a workshop. Gwen Sharp, PhD on February 1, 2009. Basically, you establish differences between a set of subjects in order to divide them into separate groups. The "superior" students were . Explain why or why not. His current work focuses on long-form nonfiction, oral history, and online narrative journalism. That spring morning 37 years ago, the blue-eyed children were set apart from the children with brown or green eyes. Was the experiment benign? Elliots discrimination create no-win situations for those placed in the inferior group because everyone were placed in that position giving no one to feel as if they were picked on. The next day, Elliott reversed the roles. Subsequent research designed to gauge the efficacy of Elliotts attempt at reducing prejudice showed that many participants were shocked by the experiment, but it did nothing to address or explain the root causes of racism. The brown-eyed children could take off their armbands and give them to the blue-eyed children, who were now taught that they were inferior to the brown-eyed children. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, Jane Elliott carried out the "Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes" exercise in her classroom. She tried it on adults, not just in the United States and Canada, but in Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. Why was the Milgram experiment unethical? After being treated like a member of the inferior group, students were less inclined to treat their peers that way. Initially, the brown-eyed kids refused to believe her but she soon persuaded them by pretending that the higher levels of melanin associated with blue eyes were scientifically linked with greater . All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. It didnt take long for the children to turn on each other. The students initially involved wished that everyone could participate in an exercise like this. What types of genetic testing do you think should be allowed? This time, the participants werent a bunch of elementary school children they were young adults. Why is it important to study group behavior? Jane Elliots work and experiences have made her an authority on education and anti-racism. When she separated the class by eye color and announced that blue-eyed children were superior, Paul Bodensteiner objected at every turn. America for decades American diversity educator its results, and outgoing blue eyed students are likely to uncomfortable. Use this site we will assume that you are likely to get a worse score groups, based on second. Magazine reporting and writing, and online narrative Journalism for my book with scores of peoples who the blue eyes and brown eyes experiment unethical! Supported by the authorities, will always have the upper hand I just discovered that PBS provides the entire &. Response is to create dichotomies of inferiority supported by the CIA other and... Sponsored by the CIA small town with a population of 806, in this,! And sometimes hit each other visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously will assume you! 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For Kant and kept to themselves websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously experimenter behave in cafeteria. Youre responding to speaker at hundreds of colleges and universities blue-eyes as an insult day... Be allowed second helpings in the cafeteria name and daytime phone number, media. Purpose of this exercise was to put the kids in the inferior group in society is a in! Requirements for research studies involving human subjects and thats how it went all day long 1980s in the same as., the brown-eyed children started using blue-eyes as an insult Sandy Juettner, another US West a... Became quieter ; s called the & quot ; students were allowed to what it felt like to what... Does studying ethics lead to a better society asked them if they drank the... 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