October 28, 2009, Harvard University — Psychologists have found that the more a person appears to suffer when tortured, the guiltier they are perceived to be. According to the researchers, those complicit with the torture need to justify the torture, and therefore link the victim's pain to blame.

The full paper, which seems to have been published in 2010, even though the summary is from 2009(???), is: "Torture and judgments of guilt," by Kurt Gray and Daniel M. Wegner.

Full study is free to read here

So if you are ever arrested and mistreated, try to act stoic, I guess.

It's easy to see how this phenomenon could lead to spiraling sadism and abuse, as the abuser lashes out in hatred to bury their increasing guilt.

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[–] Barabas@hexbear.net 11 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

So I guess you should hoot and holler in pain if it is going to be used as evidence for a jury but otherwise be stoic.

Pretty interesting study. Wouldn’t have assumed that there would be a reverse correlation for the distant group. Guess you kind of see similarities with this when you get the cops and cop defenders out to defend police brutality. The ones who yell are mocked for it.

[–] iie@hexbear.net 7 points 4 months ago

Wouldn’t have assumed that there would be a reverse correlation for the distant group.

Me neither. Maybe their feeling was that if someone expresses pain and fear they might lack the brazenness to cheat?