I have always been intrigued by famous social experiments, like the Standford Prison Experiment, and Milgram’s Obedience Experiments, so imagine my pleasure when I came across Gina Perry’s ‘The Lost Boys’ which outlines the Robber’s Cave Experiment. My guess is you haven’t heard of this one before, and that is a shame. The point of the trial was to examine group dynamics, force derision and animosity between two teams of 10 year old boys at a summer camp, then see if they could be brought back together as one unit at the end. Seems simple enough right? Well, let’s just say that things don’t go as planned, and the researchers/counselors are forced to incite conflict in the form of cabin raids, flag burning, and even a planned forest fire. It is a wild story. I do have to add that the unfortunate part of all of the these experiments is that while they were unethical, and borderline amoral, they did seem to reveal fundamental human truths, which is what makes then so enduring and compelling even today.
