Not disagreeing with what you're arguing, Alcyone. A lot of people are clearly capable of extreme violence under pressure or stress.
But to bring the question back to Ann's initial question, is Clark Kent one of the group of people you describe? Would that character be someone who could kill where the safety of others was not the issue? It's at that point that the individual reader's perception of character takes over, I think. How much altering is the reader comfortable with before they say "Clark Kent" wouldn't do that - but, say, Lex Luthor would?
It may be, too, that it depends on whether you believe that man is inherently evil. Not to mention which personality traits are innate and which are learned. I gather they're revising the books on that question all the time.
As I recall that experiment you described, not all the students involved reacted exactly the same way. As well, when interviewed, many of the students said that they believed the situation to be 'safe' because it was under the control of the profs. (yeah, i know "i was only following orders" <g>)
And so once again i've wandered away from Ann's question.
and totally OT- was it Ghostbusters that opened with that great send-up of the classic electric shock experiment you mention?
c. (and current insomniac)
