Vignettes #18

Before I decided to study philosophy and German language and literature I did think of taking up psychology. However, the specific branch of psychology at our university in Regensburg was fully orientated on statistical research. My belief still is that the human psyche is a bit more complicated than simple numerations can describe.

Nevertheless I did have to deal with one specific psychology professor, since he and I attended several interdisciplinary seminars together. These are classes with a variety of faculties dealing with a certain topic and dealt with from each point of view and sharing the results. From every faculty at least one professor would attend plus students from that particular branch.

One such seminar was about censorship, and the psychologists were to illustrate the effects of pornography on its recipients. The professor let one of his female assistants do the report on about 25-30 major experiments and their results on the topic. Some were just questionnaires, others were real physical tests like placing sensors on a test person's penis while he watched a porn movie. Describing that last experiment he went over to his assistant, placed his hands on her shoulders and remarked that the test persons gladly had those sensors applied by his wonderful assistant. She went all red in an instant.

In about 2 hours we heard about all the results, one experiment contradicting the other or producing plainly different possibilities for interpretation. After ending the report there was a discussion, and very soon one law professor angrily remarked what use all that experimentation had, if you can't really pin it down to any singular result.

The psychology professor objected, and the law professor - a bit surprised - replied: "Now what supposedly has been proven?" And the psychologist said triumphantly: "Without the slightest doubt the experiments have proven that porn creates arousal!"

The expression on his face revealed that he genuinely did not know why everyone was laughing.