Obedience to Authority The Stanley Milgram Experiments Obedience
Obedience to Authority: The Stanley Milgram Experiments Obedience = changing behavior in response to a demand from an authority figure
Milgram Obedience Studies • 40 male subjects, variety of backgrounds – Told experiment was to study effects of punishment on learning/memory • learn word pairs – Teacher (subject) is to increasingly shock learner for wrong answers • 15 volts (“slight shock”) – 450 volts (“XXX”) – Learner (confederate) is strapped into chair, electrodes attached to arms • Not actually being shocked, but teachers don’t know this – pain sounds prerecorded – When teacher would question continuing, experimenter told him he must continue
Milgram Obedience Studies
Milgram Obedience Studies • Results surprised everyone: – 26 out of 40 (65%) went all the way to 450 volts (potentially lethal) – Only 5 stopped before 300 volts • Very stressful for participant – often protested, but still obeyed
Milgram Obedience Studies • Conducted a variety of follow-up studies to further understanding of forces influencing obedience: – Experimenter Status & Prestige • When conducted by “private firm” in run-down rented building instead of Yale – Obedience dropped slightly (48%) – Proximity of learner • Obedience dropped when “learner” was close by, in same room • Decreased even more when had to make contact w/ learner (force hand down) – Proximity of authority figure • Obedience decreased greatly when experimenter phoned in directions – Some even tried to deceive the experimenter – Behavior of others • 3 teachers in experiment (2 confederates, 1 actual subject) – When other 2 refused to continue, obedience dropped to only 10%
Milgram Obedience Studies • Many have questioned the ethics of the study – Milgram defended • Participants were debriefed • Many reported positive experiences • Claimed benefits outweighed any harm • What do you think? • What would you have done? – Obeyed? or resisted?
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