Milgram obedience experiment is the one of the best experiment which demonstrates and gives a specific on experiments of psychology. If a person in a position of authority ordered you to deliver a 400-volt electrical shock to another person, would you follow orders? Most people would answer this question with an adamant no, but Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted a series of obedience experiments during the 1960s that demonstrated surprising results. These experiments offer a powerful and disturbing look into the power of authority and obedience.
Introduction
to the Milgram Experiment
Milgram started his experiments in 1961, shortly after
the trial of the World War II criminal Adolph Eichmann had begun. Eichmann’s
defense that he was simply following instructions when he ordered the deaths of
millions of Jews roused Milgram’s interest. In his 1974 book Obedience to
Authority, Milgram posed the question, "Could it be that Eichmann and his
million accomplices in the Holocaust were just following orders? Could we call
them all accomplices?"
Method
Used in the Milgram Experiment
The participants in the Milgram experiment were 40 men
recruited using newspaper ads. In exchange for their participation, each person
was paid $4.50.
Milgram developed an intimidating shock generator, with
shock levels starting at 30 volts and increasing in 15-volt increments all the
way up to 450 volts. The many switches were labeled with terms including
"slight shock," "moderate shock" and "danger: severe
shock." The final two switches were labeled simply with an ominous
"XXX."
Each participant took the role of a "teacher"
who would then deliver a shock to the "student" every time an
incorrect answer was produced. While the participant believed that he was
delivering real shocks to the student, the student was actually a confederate
in the experiment who was simply pretending to be shocked.
As the experiment progressed, the participant would hear
the learner plead to be released or even complain about a heart condition. Once
the 300-volt level had been reached, the learner banged on the wall and
demanded to be released. Beyond this point, the learner became completely
silent and refused to answer any more questions. The experimenter then
instructed the participant to treat this silence as an incorrect response and
deliver a further shock.
Most participants asked the experimenter whether they
should continue. The experimenter issued a series of commands to prod the
participant along:
1. "Please continue."
2. "The experiment requires that you continue."
3. "It is absolutely essential that you
continue."
4. "You have no other choice, you must go on."
Results
of the Milgram Experiment
The level of shock that the participant was willing to
deliver was used as the measure of obedience. How far do you think that most
participants were willing to go? When Milgram posed this question to a group of
Yale University students, it was predicted that no more than 3 out of 100
participants would deliver the maximum shock. In reality, 65% of the
participants in Milgram’s study delivered the maximum shocks.
Of the 40 participants in the study, 26 delivered the
maximum shocks while 14 stopped before reaching the highest levels. It is
important to note that many of the subjects became extremely agitated,
distraught and angry at the experimenter. Yet they continued to follow orders
all the way to the end.
Because of concerns about the amount of anxiety
experienced by many of the participants, all subjects were debriefed at the end
of the experiment to explain the procedures and the use of deception. However,
many critics of the study have argued that many of the participants were still
confused about the exact nature of the experiment. Milgram later surveyed the
participants and found that 84% were glad to have participated, while only 1%
regretted their involvement.
Discussion of the Milgram Experiment
While Milgram’s research raised serious ethical questions
about the use of human subjects in psychology experiments, his results have
also been consistently replicated in further experiments. Thomas Blass (1999)
reviewed further research on obedience and found that Milgram’s findings hold
true in other experiments.
Why did so many of the participants in this experiment
perform a seemingly sadistic act on the instruction of an authority figure?
According to Milgram, there are a number of situational factors that can
explain such high levels of obedience:
The physical presence of an authority figure dramatically
increased compliance.
The fact that the study was sponsored by Yale (a trusted
and authoritative academic institution) led many participants to believe that
the experiment must be safe.
The selection of teacher and learner status seemed
random.
Participants assumed that the experimenter was a
competent
expert.
The shocks were said to be painful, not dangerous.
Later experiments conducted by Milgram indicated that the
presence of rebellious peers dramatically reduced obedience levels. When other
people refused to go along with the experimenters orders, 36 out of 40
participants refused to deliver the maximum shocks.
"Ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and
without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in a terrible
destructive process. Moreover, even when the destructive effects of their work
become patently clear, and they are asked to carry out actions incompatible
with fundamental standards of morality, relatively few people have the
resources needed to resist authority" (Milgram, 1974).
Milgram’s experiment has become a classic in psychology,
demonstrating the dangers of obedience. While this experiment suggests that
situational variables have a stronger sway than personality factors in
determining obedience, other psychologists argue that obedience is heavily
influenced by both external and internal factors, such as personal beliefs and
overall temperament.
Suggested Reading:
Milgram, S. (1973). The perils of obedience. Harper’s
Magazine, 62-77.
Milgram, S. (1974). Obedience to authority: An experimental
view. Harpercollins
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