SOLVED. fiction about teens participate in experiment involving mazes and food [s]

[Kym]

I am looking for the title or author name.

I read this fiction book perhaps in 1984-86. It centred around a group of teens, and as part of therapy/experimentation, they all stayed together in some type of environment where they had to alter their behaviour in order to gain food, possibly access to other areas. It seems to me there was a system of lights that signified success or failure.

I can't recall if the goal was to foster collaboration or to observe what happens when the teens are thrown into the situation.

I didn't understand it as a young teen, but as an adult I believe there was a Pavlovian theme to the experiment, and I would love to read it again with a better understanding of human psychology.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated, please and thank you!

Kym

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

House of Stairs.

[Kym]

That is absolutely it! I kept thinking about the stairs, but thought I was confusing with another. Funny how inaccurate memory gets. Interesting that I didn't recall it as science fiction, as Wikipedia calls it.

Thank you so much! Such a fast response.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

It's actually a not uncommon request. A lot of people have memories of it.

[rivka]

Lobstergirl wrote: "It's actually a not uncommon request."

Indeed.

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/3...
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8...

[Kym]

I see now that it is quite popular. Glad to see I'm not the only one who loved the weirdness and darkness of the book.

Thanks for all your help. I'm off to hunt down a copy!

[rivka]

It's definitely the kind of book that sticks in your head forever.

[Lisa]

rivka wrote: "It's definitely the kind of book that sticks in your head forever."

Yep. I remember parts of it well, and I read it over 35 years ago.