What was the significance for psychology of the Coca-Cola trial and Hollingworth’s research?
Federal agents in U.S. were directing a bust of drug under the boards of the lately acted Federal Drugs and Food Act. Target was the transport of 20 kegs and 40 barrels constituting a thing government alleged was habit-forming and poisonous.
The syrup present in barrels and kegs was the base of Coca-Cola; the addictive, deadly component was caffeine. If convicted, the management of the company could have been in severe trouble. They left no amount adapting for the case which finally had gone for trial in the year of 1911.
The lawyers of the company could not find any evidence proving that there are no hazardous effects of the quantity of caffeine being used in the drinks made by the company.
They required a psychologist for conducting a research experiment and the faith that the consequences would prove their point. There was a psychologist, Hollingwort, ambitious to accept what he thought was a great chance.
Despite the monetary advantage, Hollingworth asserted on the biggest standards of ethics. He will not be arraigned of giving the answers the company wanted. He was not allowed to publish his observations even if those proved hazardous to the company.