Slavery and Negro Personality

The experience showed, in any event, that infantile personality features could be induced in a relatively short time among large numbers of adult human beings coming from very diverse backgrounds. The immense revelation for psychology in the concentration-camp literature has been the discovery of how elements of dramatic personality change could be brought about in masses of individuals. The immense revelation for psychology in the concentration-camp literature has been the discovery of how elements of Negro personality change could be brought about in masses of individuals. The new adjustment, to absolute power in a closed system, involved infantilization, and the detachment was so complete that little trace of prior cultural sanctions for behavior and personality remained for the descendants of the first generation. It is hoped that the very hideousness of a special example of slavery has not disqualified it as a test for certain personality features of a far milder and more benevolent form of slavery.