science

Ulcers in Executive Monkeys

Ulcers in Executive Monkeys is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ulcers in Executive Monkeys rather than just read about it. In short: Ulcers in Executive Monkeys was a study into the effects of stress, published in 1958 in Scientific American by Joseph V. Brady.

Key takeaways

Ulcers in Executive Monkeys belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ulcers in Executive Monkeys to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ulcers in Executive Monkeys from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Ulcers in Executive Monkeys was a study into the effects of stress, published in 1958 in Scientific American by Joseph V. Brady.

Method of the experiment In an early version of the study, Brady placed monkeys in 'restraining chairs' and conditioned them to press a lever. They were given electric shocks every 20 seconds unless they pressed the lever during the same time period. This study came to an abrupt halt when many of the monkeys died from perforated ulcers. To test this Brady used a yoked control monkey. He placed an 'Executive Monkey' in the restraining chair, which could press the lever to prevent the electric shock. The yoked monkey had no control over the lever, leaving only the 'Executive' with the psychological stress of pushing the lever.

Results After 23 days of a continuous 6 hours on, 6 hours off schedule of electric shocks, the executive monkey died. Brady then tried various schedules, but no monkeys died from this. He then returned to the original 6 on, 6 off, and tested the stomachs of the Executives and found that their stomach acidity was greatest during the rest period. The greatest danger occurred when the sympathetic arousal stopped and the stomach was flooded with digestive hormones. This was a parasympathetic rebound associated with the Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which led to the development of ulcers in the Executive monkeys. In all the variations of the experiment, no yoked control monkey ever developed an ulcer. This suggests that the ulcers were a symptom of the excessive stress induced by having control. Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome proposes a similar effect in the Exhaustion phase.

Criticism The Myth of Executive Stress A later Scientific American article points to a large body of research on both humans and primates showing that subordinates suffer more stress than those with power. The article also points to design errors in the original experiment

See also Animal testing on non-human primates Peptic ulcer disease

Notes

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ulcers in Executive Monkeys

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ulcers in Executive Monkeys claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ulcers in Executive Monkeys before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ulcers in Executive Monkeys ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ulcers in Executive Monkeys

In research: Ulcers in Executive Monkeys appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ulcers in Executive Monkeys in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ulcers in Executive Monkeys is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Animal testing on monkeys, Psychology experiments, Scientific American articles, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ulcers in Executive Monkeys outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ulcers in Executive Monkeys in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ulcers in Executive Monkeys means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ulcers in Executive Monkeys out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ulcers in Executive Monkeys in simple terms?

Ulcers in Executive Monkeys was a study into the effects of stress, published in 1958 in Scientific American by Joseph V. Brady.

Why does Ulcers in Executive Monkeys matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ulcers in Executive Monkeys?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ulcers in Executive Monkeys.