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In 1939, researchers at the University of Iowa conducted a disturbing psychology experiment on 22 children at an Iowa orphanage. Six children who spoke normally were repeatedly told they were developing a stutter. The experiment became known as the Monster Study, one of the most controversial examples of unethical psychological research in American history.

But did the Monster Study actually cause children to develop speech disorders? And what happens when someone in a position of authority convinces a child that something is wrong with them?

In this episode of Pretty Evil, we investigate the true story of the Monster Study, a 1939 speech pathology experiment conducted by graduate student Mary Tudor under the supervision of psychologist Wendell Johnson at the University of Iowa.

Johnson, who had struggled with stuttering throughout his own childhood, wanted to challenge prevailing theories about the origins of speech disorders. He believed that repeatedly labeling normal childhood speech difficulties as stuttering might actually contribute to the development of the condition.

To test that theory, Tudor divided 22 children at the Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' Home into four groups. Some received positive reinforcement about their speech, while others were subjected to criticism and negative labeling. Six children who had no identified stutter were repeatedly warned that they were developing one, and the adults responsible for their care were encouraged to reinforce that message.

The experiment continued for months, but the results were far more complicated than the story most people have heard.

We'll examine the original research findings, why later analysis found no evidence that the experiment caused stuttering, and the troubling behavioral changes documented in Tudor's own notes. We'll also explore why the study remained unpublished for decades, the investigative reporting that brought it to public attention in 2001, and the lawsuit that ultimately resulted in a $925,000 settlement with the state of Iowa.

But beyond the ethical failures of the experiment lies a psychological question that reaches far beyond the laboratory: How much of our identity is shaped by what other people repeatedly tell us about ourselves?

Through the psychology of labeling, authority, self-perception, and internalized expectations, we'll explore how children learn to understand themselves through the reactions of others, why certain labels can become difficult to question, and how even well-intentioned judgments can influence the stories we carry about who we are.

The Monster Study raises important questions about research ethics, the responsibilities of people in positions of authority, and the lasting consequences of being taught to doubt something that once came naturally.

And it leaves us with a question w

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The Exorcism of Emily Rose was inspired by the true story of Anneliese Michel, a 23-year-old German woman who died in 1976 after undergoing 67 Catholic exorcism sessions. Her family believed she was possessed by demons. Her doctors had diagnosed epilepsy. By the time the exorcisms ended, Anneliese was dead, and the people who had tried to save her were facing criminal charges.

In this episode of Pretty Evil, we investigate the real-life exorcism of Anneliese Michel, the disturbing events that inspired the horror film The Exorcism of Emily Rose, and the complicated relationship between religious belief, medical uncertainty, and the responsibility to protect someone in our care.

Anneliese was a young university student in Germany who dreamed of becoming a teacher. But years before her death, she began experiencing seizures, hallucinations, and increasingly frightening symptoms. Despite receiving medical treatment, her condition continued to deteriorate, and her family became convinced that her suffering had a supernatural explanation.

In September 1975, the Catholic Church authorized an exorcism. Over the following ten months, two priests performed at least 67 sessions, confronting what they believed were six demonic entities, including Lucifer, Judas, Cain, Nero, and Hitler.

We'll examine the chilling audio recordings of Anneliese Michel's exorcisms, the questions surrounding her epilepsy diagnosis and medications, and the religious interpretations that shaped her treatment. We'll also investigate her physical deterioration, the circumstances of her death from severe malnutrition and dehydration, and the 1978 negligent homicide trial that resulted in convictions for her parents and both priests.

But what makes this case especially troubling is the possibility that the people involved genuinely believed they were helping her.

How did their conviction that Anneliese was possessed influence the evidence they accepted, the medical explanations they rejected, and the decisions they continued making as her health deteriorated?

Through the psychological concept of overvalued ideas, we'll explore how deeply held beliefs can become resistant to contradictory evidence, particularly when those beliefs are reinforced by people we trust. We'll also consider whether spiritual care and medical treatment ever needed to be competing explanations in the first place.

Anneliese Michel's story raises difficult questions about faith, authority, medical responsibility, and the difference between intending to help someone and recognizing whether our actions are actually helping.

When it comes to what we believe, do we give other explanations the same consideration we give our own?

🎧 Pretty Evil is a true crime and behavioral psychology podcast exploring disturbing cases, human behavior, and the psychological forces that shape our decisions.

Topics covered: Anneliese Michel, The Exorcism of Emily Rose true story, Anneliese Michel exorcism, real Emily Rose, 1976 German exorcism, Catholic exorcism, Anneliese Michel recordings, demonic possession, epilepsy, religious beliefs, medical neglect, negligent homicide, overvalued ideas, psychology of belief, criminal psychology, true crime, religious extremism.

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Before The Amityville Horror became one of America's most famous haunted house stories, six members of the DeFeo family were murdered in their beds at 112 Ocean Avenue. But the killer wasn't a ghost or an unknown intruder; It was someone who already lived inside the house.

On November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot and killed his parents, Ronald DeFeo Sr. and Louise DeFeo, and his four younger siblings, Dawn, Allison, Mark, and John Matthew, in their Amityville, New York, home. The brutal family murders shocked Long Island and would eventually become the foundation for one of the most recognizable horror franchises in American history.

But how did a real family tragedy become a story about a haunted house?

In this episode of Pretty Evil, we investigate the DeFeo Family Massacre, the disturbing history behind The Amityville Horror, and the psychology of how true crime becomes mythology.

We'll examine the DeFeo family's life before the murders, Ronald DeFeo Jr.'s troubled relationship with his parents, the escalating conflicts inside the household, and the events leading up to the killings. We'll also explore the police investigation, DeFeo's confession, his insanity defense, and the changing explanations he offered for murdering his family, including his later attempts to implicate his deceased sister.

Then we'll turn to the story that made 112 Ocean Avenue famous.

Just over a year after the murders, George and Kathy Lutz moved into the DeFeo home. They claimed to experience terrifying paranormal activity, including unexplained voices, strange odors, cold rooms, and supernatural disturbances. After just 28 days, the Lutz family fled the property.

Their account became Jay Anson's bestselling book The Amityville Horror, followed by the iconic 1979 horror film and decades of sequels, remakes, documentaries, and paranormal investigations.

We'll examine the disputed evidence behind the Amityville haunting, the allegations that the story was a hoax, and how the Lutz family's experiences became more famous than the murders that preceded them.

But the deeper question is psychological: Why is it easier to imagine an evil presence haunting a house than to confront the possibility that someone dangerous could already belong to the family?

Through the lenses of family dynamics, familiarity, fear, and the psychology of storytelling, we'll explore how people interpret threatening behavior from someone they love, why supernatural explanations can feel more satisfying than unresolved human violence, and how the DeFeo family's lives became overshadowed by the legend of their former home.

The Amityville Horror may be remembered as a ghost story, but the documented tragedy at 112 Ocean Avenue began with six real people whose lives deserve to be remembered.

Topics covered: DeFeo Family Massacre, DeFeo family murders, Ronald DeFeo Jr., Ronald Butch DeFeo, The Amityville Horror, Amityville murders, Amityville haunted house, 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville haunting, Lutz family, George and Kathy Lutz, Amityville Horror true story, 1974 Amityville murders, Jay Anson, Amityville Horror hoax, family annihilation, family murder, insanity defense, criminal psychology, paranormal history, true crime, psychological true crime.

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Some details don't make it into the episode. For source material, research files, episode extras, and more to the story, visit prettyevilpodcast.com.