I'm sure there are similar threads (know I've read of this sort of thing somewhere) but here goes... 
Entered college a Psych major... scary, yes...and the straw which finally sent me running to the Eng. Lit. Dept. (Sanctuary!) was the mandatory registration for 3 experiments per semester, to assist advanced students.
(Well, actually Behavioral Psych & lab experiments with adorable tiny mice didn't help, though at least I wasn't asked to zap them... GEE, I wonder what they'll do under THOSE circumstances... Sorry, Tangent...)
So freshmeat--I mean, freshmen-- psych students were offered up as convenient Guinea Pigs to upperclassmen (and women 🙂 ) in desperate need of data. (So we were taught to have all the more empathy for those mice...)
Which was fine, the cycle worked nicely to provide said data for advanced students, who had had to do the same when they were bottom rung -- but you were only allowed to refuse 3 experiments --- Once you hit that limit you were then *REQUIRED* to take WHATEVER you inadvertantly signed up for
**(we'd only find out what the experiment was about AFTER we'd sign up for it, and were sworn to secrecy on pain of [something drastic enough, had to sign a document of confidentiality]
---whether or not we'd agree to participate after discovery of the topic, to keep the rest of the freshmeat pool unaware & objective...) We were only given the most basic information initially, such as the topic; only those participating got the details....
Some experimentors would ask for certain ages, genders, even ethnic backgrounds, but most experiments were open to all... and you'd select initially from those you could.
.....Once you refused a third time, of course, you had to take whatever was left... and if you waited too long, hope you were able to attend the minimum of three, that you'd be eligible & they'd fit your class schedule...and not be filled up....
Most weren't bad at all... But I was VERY glad I hadn't refused any by the time I reached my third & last experiment that semester.
Almost fell through the floor when the student in charge interviewed me for the experiment (cute pleasant guy to boot, which of course made it so much worse) ...and he informed me very casually that it involved tickling.
Am reasonably sure I (may have blanched and) kept a straight face while somehow politely (& half reluctantly) refusing that older student who I suspected was "one of us" and therefore more dangerous/likely to see through another... all the while thinking I'd better make this exit quick before he does exactly that...
(Felt like this secret fetish was written in bold red across my forehead..."Fascinated but can't admit it...")
Mostly I felt sorry for those who couldn't refuse...
(I was 17 or 18 then, still am not comfortable publicly for certain, into my 30's...) and simultaneously of course had been wishing I wasn't so blasted mortified, as would've loved to have found out if that was *literally done,
or if the point of the experiment was to see who'd refuse if possible? ---
OR if they'd just incorporated the suggestion of it, teasing & perhaps not actually touching anyone...?"
Of course, if anyone reading this account happens to recognize it --- Did you people actually... do any of the above??
(Okay, yeah, so the point of this thread may be in part to put this minor mystery to rest... 🙄 Which is why you do NOT get either the school or the exact year.... 😀 ) But I'm also curious to see if anyone else had a similar experience...
I'm sure they had to be careful so no charges of improper behavior (much less assault) could be brought against them (and most likely even someone with no Refusals left them could argue that THAT supposedly tactile experiment was not something to be coerced into, but I didn't hear about anyone having a problem. However, I also didn't hear any laughter...
Not that I stuck around either...)
So I got away -- Did anyone else?
(And if you actually slogged through this ginormous post you get three free Boring Homework Passes for Starfleet Academy, good thru 2009...)
Entered college a Psych major... scary, yes...and the straw which finally sent me running to the Eng. Lit. Dept. (Sanctuary!) was the mandatory registration for 3 experiments per semester, to assist advanced students.
(Well, actually Behavioral Psych & lab experiments with adorable tiny mice didn't help, though at least I wasn't asked to zap them... GEE, I wonder what they'll do under THOSE circumstances... Sorry, Tangent...)
So freshmeat--I mean, freshmen-- psych students were offered up as convenient Guinea Pigs to upperclassmen (and women 🙂 ) in desperate need of data. (So we were taught to have all the more empathy for those mice...)
Which was fine, the cycle worked nicely to provide said data for advanced students, who had had to do the same when they were bottom rung -- but you were only allowed to refuse 3 experiments --- Once you hit that limit you were then *REQUIRED* to take WHATEVER you inadvertantly signed up for
**(we'd only find out what the experiment was about AFTER we'd sign up for it, and were sworn to secrecy on pain of [something drastic enough, had to sign a document of confidentiality]
---whether or not we'd agree to participate after discovery of the topic, to keep the rest of the freshmeat pool unaware & objective...) We were only given the most basic information initially, such as the topic; only those participating got the details....
Some experimentors would ask for certain ages, genders, even ethnic backgrounds, but most experiments were open to all... and you'd select initially from those you could.
.....Once you refused a third time, of course, you had to take whatever was left... and if you waited too long, hope you were able to attend the minimum of three, that you'd be eligible & they'd fit your class schedule...and not be filled up....
Most weren't bad at all... But I was VERY glad I hadn't refused any by the time I reached my third & last experiment that semester.
Almost fell through the floor when the student in charge interviewed me for the experiment (cute pleasant guy to boot, which of course made it so much worse) ...and he informed me very casually that it involved tickling.
Am reasonably sure I (may have blanched and) kept a straight face while somehow politely (& half reluctantly) refusing that older student who I suspected was "one of us" and therefore more dangerous/likely to see through another... all the while thinking I'd better make this exit quick before he does exactly that...
(Felt like this secret fetish was written in bold red across my forehead..."Fascinated but can't admit it...")
Mostly I felt sorry for those who couldn't refuse...
(I was 17 or 18 then, still am not comfortable publicly for certain, into my 30's...) and simultaneously of course had been wishing I wasn't so blasted mortified, as would've loved to have found out if that was *literally done, or if the point of the experiment was to see who'd refuse if possible? ---
OR if they'd just incorporated the suggestion of it, teasing & perhaps not actually touching anyone...?"
Of course, if anyone reading this account happens to recognize it --- Did you people actually... do any of the above??
(Okay, yeah, so the point of this thread may be in part to put this minor mystery to rest... 🙄 Which is why you do NOT get either the school or the exact year.... 😀 ) But I'm also curious to see if anyone else had a similar experience...
I'm sure they had to be careful so no charges of improper behavior (much less assault) could be brought against them (and most likely even someone with no Refusals left them could argue that THAT supposedly tactile experiment was not something to be coerced into, but I didn't hear about anyone having a problem. However, I also didn't hear any laughter...
Not that I stuck around either...)So I got away -- Did anyone else?
(And if you actually slogged through this ginormous post you get three free Boring Homework Passes for Starfleet Academy, good thru 2009...)
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