Stockholm Syndrome Trivia Quiz

Answer: A bank

During the time of August 23-28 1973, bank employees were held captive in the vault of Kreditbanken in the Norrmalmstorg area of Stockholm. The employees began to feel sympathetic toward their captors and even refused assistance such as food and possible means of escape. When they were released, they defended their captors.

Answer: Nils Bejerot

Bejerot worked for the Swedish police as an expert on drug use and studies. He was often called by other countries, including the United States, to help assist in the forming of drug policies. Bejerot originally called Stockholm syndrome Norrmalmstorgssyndromet, after the area of the city the robbery occurred in but it was later popularized with its English name.

While Bejerot coined the term, it was Frank Ochberg who clearly defined what Stockholm syndrome was and was able to identify hostages and rescue them by developing techniques to combat it.

Answer: His ego was too big to accept that he is not in the power position

Freudians suggest that because the man's ego is so big, he cannot believe he is not in control of the situation. In order to cope, he tries to relate to his captors so both of them are at least on the same level. By doing this, the victim develops a one-sided quasi-friendship with his captor.

Answer: The captive helps the police or other authorities rescue them

Quite often, the hostages afflicted with Stockholm syndrome start despising the police. In instances where the syndrome did not develop until after the rescue, the captives often credit their captors and not the police for their rescue. Some have even testified on behalf of, and paid for the defense of, their takers.

Answer: About 8%

The explanation for the percentage being so low is that the agency believes Stockholm syndrome develops when the hostage taker does not use violence or intimidation on their hostage, who then mistakes it for kindness. The FBI states that almost all captors use violence or threats in some way.

While the FBI said only 8% of hostages develop Stockholm syndrome, 72% show absolutely no signs of it whatsoever. The other 20% of victims do show some signs but those quickly disappear when rescued or when contact is made with the police. Those with Stockholm syndrome continue to defend and befriend their captors even after the rescue has been made.

The report studied over 4,700 cases of abductions, kidnappings and similar situations in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. The report was published as part of the FBI's July 2007 bulletin which dealt with ways to keep children safe from kidnappers and how to keep yourself safe in a hostage situation.

Answer: Patty Hearst

Hearst was initially sentenced to 35 years in prison but it was later commuted to two years by Jimmy Carter. Bill Clinton pardoned her as his very last act of the presidency. Whether or not Hearst had Stockholm syndrome is unclear. Some experts believe she did but others believe that she was fully cognizant when she committed the bank robbery and not under any influence from the SLA.

Answer: Post traumatic stress disorder

Sufferers from both PTSD and Stockholm syndrome reports such symptoms as insomnia, confusion, having flashbacks and nightmares and inability to enjoy life. Therapists use the same techniques when dealing with a patient inflicted with these disorders.

The American Psychological Association notes that a key difference between the two is that those with Stockholm syndrome have a higher chance of recovery because they often do not witness a traumatic event. If someone with Stockholm syndrome saw the captor they trusted harming someone else, they would "snap out of it" and begin distrusting their captors. Those with PTSD often witnessed multiple, extremely traumatic situations and thus, it is harder to recover from.

Answer: It is impossible to conduct an effective experiment because of legal and ethical complications

Scientists agree that the only way to study why some people get Stockholm syndrome would be to take a group of people hostage and study their reactions. However, the subjects would have to be kept in the dark otherwise their reactions will not be genuine.

This is a huge roadblock to experiments as it is illegal to do this in most places on earth, never mind the ethical conundrum of scarring people with traumatic situations and jeopardizing the lives of everyone involved.

Answer: Lima Syndrome

Lima syndrome received its name when a group held captive nearly a hundred people in the Japanese embassy in Lima, Peru in 1996. The captors, a group called the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, sought to overthrow the Peruvian government and install a leftist/Marxist government. They turned to violence in the 1980s and 1990s when they failed to convince left-wing political parties to join with them.

The captors began to feel bad and eventually released all of their hostages, including the more important dignitaries inside. Scientists also note that sometimes Lima syndrome occurs when one member of the group disagrees with the others and starts siding with the hostages against the captors.

Answer: True

Scientists have noticed that women and men in abusive relationships can suffer from Stockholm syndrome which explains why battered spouses remain in the relationship. Other people who have been found to have Stockholm syndrome without being taken captive are fraternity pledges and newly-enlisted soldiers, as they can be mistreated by their superiors but respect them and grow friendlier with them as time goes on.