American psychologists participated in torture against prisoners

Information has recently come to light that some members of the American Psychological Association (APA) endorsed and legitimized torture programs to extract information from some detainees after 9/11.

Specifically, the members of the APA involved legitimized certain tortures towards detainees that allowed the US government. legalize such activities. Among some participating entities in the event we find the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), senior managers of the Pentagon and the White House, with the then president of the United States Joined George W. bushes.

This is especially serious considering that, currently, the APA is one of the largest organizations linked to the world of psychology worldwide. In addition, it has 150,000 associates and has an annual budget of 70 million dollars. Not surprisingly, its bibliographic citation system is one of the most widely used in the world.

The APA apologizes

Fourteen long years have had to pass for the APA, after successive complaints by senior officials from the world of psychology, has apologized in relation to the close cooperation in interrogations military. It has done so after the publication of the

Hoffman Report, a 524-page document where the participation of these psychologists in what they called reinforced interrogation techniques is explicitly reported, a euphemism for what has always been described as torture.

The Hoffman report is transcending remarkably. There are now four high-ranking APA officials who have either been expelled from the association or, on the contrary, have suddenly left of their own free will. Among them we find the director of the Ethics Office Stephen Behnke, the executive director Norman Anderson, Deputy Executive Director Michael Honaker and Communications Officer Rhea Farberman.

What kind of torture was used in the interrogations?

Ruthless and cruel procedures were used in the interrogations. One of them consisted of playing music at full volume to prevent the detainees from falling asleep. They also forced the suspects to walk every fifteen minutes throughout the night so that they would not rest.

Another type of torture used was what was called waterboarding either simulated drowning. This technique consists of immobilizing the individual and pouring water over his nose and mouth so that he does not actually drown but does give him the sensation of suffocation.

Lastly, it should also be noted that some CIA agents threatened to assault and violently attack the close relatives of the detainees.

What role did psychologists play in the torture?

The psychologists analyzed the detainees and reported on their mental state, looking for their weak points (phobias, etc.) to later use them against them.

Jim Mitchell and Bruce Jessen, two retired US military psychologists, played a key role in torturing those suspected of belonging to the terrorist group. Al Qaeda.

learned helplessness as a technique to extract information from prisoners

Specifically, these psychologists proposed the theory of learned helplessness as a starting point to get the information they wanted. This theory was formulated and developed by martin e. Q. seligman During the 70s, he studied the effects produced by applying electric shocks to animals. Seligman observed that these animals exhibited behaviors related to depression. In addition, he stressed that these behaviors only occurred when the animal lost all hope, that is, when it came to think that it could not change its unfortunate situation.

The use of this theory in the interrogations had the objective of reaching a moment in which the detainee lost all the hope, as occurred in Seligman's experiments, and thus accede to the demands of the agents.

Stephen Soldz, a prestigious Boston psychoanalyst who had denounced the APA for a decade, explains that the CIA agents excused themselves, claiming that they only followed the recommendations that the psychologists proposed to them.

The fine line between what is ethical and what is illegal

This whole issue leads me to reflect on what the profession of psychologist entails. We know theories and master concepts that can influence human beings but that does not give us any power to misuse them.

All professionals belonging to this sector should be clear about the line between what is ethical and what is illegal. Especially in the dangerous realm of military psychology.