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For those that do not know, the orientation video found within the Swan Station states that the purpose of this project deals heavily on the teachings of B.F. Skinner.

For those that do not know B.F. Skinner was a physioligical psychologist, who spent the majority of his career sutdying the physical and primal responses to stimuli. This focus was the primary inspiration for his revolutionary device, the Skinner Box.

The Skinner Box was a three dimensional box which held the experiment, be it a rat, pidgeon etc. The box typically holds a level that, when pushed, would push a switch that would be record the response by the computer. Normally, that switch would then dispense food or water for the subject. In many instances the Skinner Box would have numerous levers, buttons and other stimuli creating devices.

If you have seen the latest spoilers on YouTube, (highlight to reveal the spoiler) Sawyer is trapped in a human skinner box that contains two different types of levers and a button that has the image of a fork and knife on it. When pressed three times, he received a shock

There is more.

Skinner also was responsible for writing a novel entitled "Walden Two which deals with Skinner's view on a utopian society. His beliefs deal heavily in the idea of shrugging of money and bringing social experiments to children in order to expel the ideas of competition, lust and greed. In accordance, Skinner also believed in communal child raising, where the mother is not involved in the rearing of the child directly. Instead, the community as a whole is responsible for rearing the child. (Alex? and what most likely would have been Aaron?)

I believe the Others are a part of this psychological Utopian society, for whatever reason. That is why they have all these "tests" that Walt had underwent to both enhance his psychic abilities and to rid himself of those typical apathetic thoughts.

Check out the links.....just a thought.

This also brings up a question about the other crash survivors. Will Jack, Kate and Sawyer be used to recruit them (or at least the suitable ones who the Others want and think they can control)? Or will they be either killed off, or just warned to stay away.
After all, they took Rousseau's daughter, but left Rousseau to live on her own.

The most important reason as to why they need these people is the level of involvement they have with the others. They are most influential to the camp, as well as the most interesting to experiment (love triangle and all). You have to remember that the Others are just trying to preserve their way of life, while trying not to do much damage to everyone. They take the children so that their way of life can continue. The children are the easiest to mold into their thought processes.

They took Jack, Kate and Sawyer simply because they may be of some use to them, for whatever grander scheme they have.

I say that they have a grand scheme because of Faux Henry Gale (I know his name is Ben, but he will always be Faux Henry Gale) and his need to show Locke the map and try to convince him that the button doesn't do anything. Faux Henry Gale is responsible for Locke's actions, as well as responsible for the destruction of the hatch and the electromagnetic anomoly. He did it for some reason, one of which I have no idea....we will see though, won't we?

you can not possibly believe that sawyer and kate could be advantageous to the others. You have a conman rebel, and a lying, conniving outlaw, who, regardless if she is a good person inside or not, is a crazed loony (no offense to Kate fans, but she is just insane!)

we will see.

Genetically they may have value. A limited gene pool is a threat to any group. Sawyer and Kate are among the most physically fit in the group.

The fact that they were asked for specifically by the Otehrs, and that the Others have complete dossiers on them (and possibly the other survivors) shows that there's something specific they feel Kate, Sawyer and Jack have to offer.