What is the monster study?

The Monster Study was a controversial speech experiment conducted in 1939 by WenDELL Johnson and his students at the University of Iowa. It involved 22 orphaned children, some of whom were labeled as stutterers and others as non-stutterers. The researchers aimed to investigate the effects of positive and negative reinforcement on speech development, but the study's negative feedback led to psychological harm and lasting speech issues for some participants. Due to its ethical implications, the Monster Study is often cited as a cautionary example in psychological research.