As the i IlstTlll't or of ,l c J :ISS of 2.1 () stlldents in i ntrodu~:tor:
psy\"'holo~:)', he explained thelt he was collecting some data for a colleague
;1I1d askl'll the sttllknts tn illllicate, by nlislTll', their hands, if they had
seen each of the lJhjl'cts he \,:as ahout to name, Fach of the 11 objects
th:lt were named refl'I'I'ed to one of three sets: neLltral itelils, taboo
(socially unacceptable or I1P~atively slio'lIlairc forms listjn,~ all 1 1 items, The
instrlh'tor i.n,lic:llt"\ thlio'lIlaifc forms listjn'~ all 1.' items, '1110
il1stl'u."tor i.lhli,'al(',1 til;lt lll' h:H\ :l1rcady completed tile' slirvey; the aS~ij:;
tant s:d.! th:lt tl\l're l\\ll~t havl' \l,'l'll some I\li:;undcrstaI1l1in;', hec:J\Asr: t.he
,tll,It'Il!:; 1(,'lT I',) ha\'q''l'!1t.l)' :hl' ,;tlld','I\\, fill<,,[ i,lI the fOflllS, Lat<,1' the wr,ittcn responses
\,vl'(, t;illil'd IIlId c'ol1ll'and I"itll the results uf the previous 1l1'luil'Y, '\1\e'
stlltly thu:; i,)J\'ldl'l'ci the l'olilpar.isUJI of public rcsp')l1sC' I<'hen till' r(;'l'()ns~'
(1f the il1divid\I:!1 hilS visihll' t.o others, verSllS a private resp011s(', ,,.,.hen
til" r~'sl'0nsl's cOllJd not i'~ oh:;er'vcd and would rennin all()nynHJ11S,
1\ comparison of the llum/Jer of students indicating tll:lt they h;IJ
seell i1 ~ ivcn ob,ieet l:I1Je'I' the pLlbl ic l.:Ollt! i ton and the number under the
private l'ondit iOIl re',ealc'd 11 goneral incrc,lsc for all. itelns, The mean
jH'rc'ellt in,'rease fo], thl'q'vcn neutral items, whi eh nlll)' ~c['vc as ,I
l'n~l'lilll' for l.'O'l1Jl,lri~OI1, I,as 24':', '111e meall ilicl""ase for the two taboe)
itl"\I\~ I,ll:: i;r;~, :ITld for till' tIm UFO i tClIIl' (ll':" COl1ljlllri:;oll,: amo,',g 1.i'r.'
three L'la~~l'" uf itt'lllS :;II~~gt'~l that tl'(' public"private disu"Tanl'Y fClr
"11]\1" :111.1 "fh'I'1,', S:IIIl'l'\'" i:; 11iOIT 1 ike tlwt for tnbo[) wOl'd~; thal1 thQt
\1 lJ'd~.
5,111<' ('olol':ldp Stud,' III' I'uhlil' :\ltitlldes.........____ •• __ -_ •• ____ . __ ~_ .. ,_ .L. ___ • ___ .. _ . __ . __ ~ __ ~ ___ ~. ___ ~ __ ,_.
11I1'IliJ1)! 110h' to the lqhH Colorado Study, the ('lljcct i ves ttl tilt'
!'C"l'ill'l'h to 1,e' l'L'!,,,rt L'd i II tilt' r<'l11aincicr of tlli ,'; charter eire: 1) '1'0
:-;'lIIHatl' thl' i'l'opol'tioll O! the adult American populatifJll \'I!de!l 1('JlrC'S(~nts
324