Human nature and behavior is complex. This is why the study of psychology is such a vast subject that has involved eminent personalities and psychoanalysts like Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud to write volumes on the subject. As individuals, we are complex to ourselves which is why we need psychiatrists and physiotherapists to help us understand and sort out our own emotional disturbances.
Over the years there have been several intriguing psychological experiments conducted with dramatic results. Although many were interesting, some however stand out for the incredible nature of the experiment and the unbelievable results that will redefine your perspective of human nature and yourself perhaps. Here are 7 such mind-boggling psychological experiments you never thought could have happened.
1 The Violinist in the Metro
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On 12th January 2007, hundreds of commuters passed violin virtuoso Joshua Bell who performed as a street performer in a Washington DC subway. He played for 45 minutes performing classical pieces like Bach on his Stradivarius violin that cost him $3.5 million. Yet no one noticed him and only 6 people stopped to listen. In fact some also gave him money and he collected $32.
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His concert three days later was a sellout
The experiment was conducted by Washington Post writer Gene Weingarten “as an experiment in context, perception, and priorities” It sought to observe public taste and whether something beautiful would be valued in a banal setting an inconvenient time. In such ordinary circumstances “would beauty transcend?” The experiment raised many eyebrows about how setting and presentation make a huge difference in the way humans value beauty. Just three days later Joshua Bell played at a sellout concert at the Boston Symphony Hall. The cost of each seat??? Well over a $100.
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2 The Piano Stairs Experiment
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This experiment was initiated by Volkswagen named “The Fun Theory”. It was conducted to prove how people’s lives could be impacted positively by making boring everyday routines more fun. They installed musical piano steps on the staircase of a subway station in Sweden to observe if people would choose the healthier option of climbing stairs rather than using an escalator.
The results were phenomenal where 66% more commuters used the stairs on that particular day. This goes to show that we do like a little diversion from our mundane lives and we are also kids at heart. If cities were more fun, we would all be healthier.
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