5 Monkeys and a Ladder Experiment

I’m not sure if this is a real experiment but it’s so familiar it’s mad. I’ll try include a video with the same even though I think the video is scripted.

A group of scientists placed five monkeys in a cage. At the cage’s center was a tall ladder with a bunch of ripe bananas at its top.

Every time a monkey started up the ladder, the scientists soaked the other monkeys with cold water.

After a while, any time a monkey started up the ladder, the others would grab it and beat it up.

Soon none of the monkeys dared to go up the ladder, regardless of the temptation.

Next, the scientists removed one of the monkeys from the cage and substituted it with a new monkey. As soon as this new monkey spotted the bananas, he tried to climb the ladder.  The other monkeys beat him up at once. After several beatings, the new member of the group learned not to climb the ladder – even though he never really knew why it was “forbidden.”

A second new monkey was substituted for one of the original five, with the same result – and the first substitute monkey participated in the beatings. The process was repeated with a third new monkey, then a fourth, and finally a fifth, each time with the same result.

In the end, the cage held a group of five monkeys who had never received a cold soaking – but who would beat up any monkey who attempted to climb the ladder.