1. Children of today have far less free time (after-school structured activities, organized sports, and part-time jobs during high school) and far more access to television, computers, and video games. How might the lack of free, unstructured time affect the development and expression of creativity and intelligence? Do computers increase or decrease creativity and intelligence? Do computers affect the way we think and process information?
2. Imagine that a "learner" died during the course of the Milgram obedience study and the case was sent to trial. You are on the jury. Who would you hold most responsible? Milgram (the designer of the study), the experimenter (who conducted the study) or the teacher (who administered the shock)? Who would receive the longest sentence? Consider base rate information in your answer. That is, if you learned that your teacher was the only teacher who went to 450 volts, amongst all teachers who participated in the study, would he get a longer sentence? Or, if your teacher was just one of many other teachers who went to 450 volts, would he get a shorter sentence? This is somewhat analogous to the Nuremberg trials following World War II. Was Hitler more guilty for the death of a Jew than a soldier who administered the gas?
If you were the teacher, at what voltage would you have refused to go on with the study? If you say you would have refused before most of the other teachers refused, are you guilty of the fundamental attribution error (blaming the other teachers behavior on their disposition, rather than considering the power of the situation)?
3. Could you beat a polygraph? If so, what method would you use? Is polygraph testing as a requirement for employment a good idea? Why or why not?
4. What are the most important sources of stress in our society? What could be done to combat these stressors on a societal level? As an individual? What were the most important stressors for your parents when they were your age? Do you have more or less stress in your life compared to your parents? What about your resources for coping with stress, are they better than your parents? Why or why not?
5. Aldous Huxley, in the novel Brave New World, wrote about an imaginary drug (soma) that made people feel extremely happy and cooperative. If such a drug existed, would you take it? What if it was as safe as aspirin? Should everyone be forced to take the drug? What would the world be like if everyone took the drug?