Milgram experiment 1963

Summary

The transcript discusses psychologist Stanley Milgram's famous experiment on obedience to authority, conducted to understand how ordinary people could commit atrocities under unjust regimes like the Holocaust. Volunteers were instructed to administer electric shocks to a learner for incorrect answers, unaware that the learner was an actor and the shocks were fake. Despite hearing pleas to stop, two-thirds of participants were willing to deliver potentially fatal shocks when urged by an authority figure in a lab coat. The findings shocked the public, revealing the disturbing power of authority over personal conscience.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted experiments a decade earlier to study how people respond to authority.
• 🔍 The goal was to understand how individuals could be compelled to obey unjust regimes, such as during the Holocaust.
• 📋 In the experiment, volunteers believed they were participating in research to improve memory.
• 🧑‍🏫 The volunteer, designated as the 'teacher,' was separated from the 'learner' by a screen and asked to administer electric shocks for wrong answers.
• ⚡ The 'teacher' was instructed to increase the voltage with every incorrect response from the 'learner.'
• 🎭 The 'learner' was actually an actor, and the electric shocks were not real, but the teacher was unaware of this.
• 💥 Despite the 'learner' pleading to stop, many participants continued to administer shocks under authority instructions.
• 👨‍⚕️ A significant number of participants, 2/3, were willing to give potentially lethal shocks when prompted by an authority figure.
• 😨 Milgram's experiment showed that people are capable of following harmful orders, similar to actions taken by individuals under Nazi rule.
• 🇺🇸 Milgram's findings shocked America, revealing that ordinary citizens could commit acts against their conscience under authoritative pressure.

Q & A

Who was Stanley Milgram and what did he study?

Stanley Milgram was a psychologist who studied how people respond to authority. His goal was to understand how individuals could be induced to obey unjust regimes and participate in atrocities like the Holocaust.

What was the setup of Milgram's experiment?

In Milgram's experiment, volunteers were told they were participating in research to improve memory. They were assigned the role of a 'teacher' who would ask questions and administer an electric shock to the 'learner' (an actor) whenever they answered incorrectly.

How were the participants misled in the experiment?

Participants were misled into believing that the learner was receiving real electric shocks, when in reality the shocks were harmless, and the learner was an actor pretending to be in pain.

What was the role of the authority figure in the experiment?

The authority figure, a man in a white coat, would encourage the 'teacher' to continue administering shocks despite the learner's apparent suffering. The presence of the authority figure was key in persuading participants to continue.

What did Milgram's experiment reveal about obedience to authority?

Milgram's experiment revealed that ordinary people could be induced to obey authority figures, even to the point of administering what they believed to be fatal electric shocks to another person, if instructed by a legitimate authority.

What was the reaction of participants when the learner expressed pain?

Many participants expressed discomfort when the learner showed signs of pain, with some refusing to continue. However, when the authority figure insisted, many participants complied and continued administering shocks.

How did the learner react during the experiment?

The learner, who was an actor, pretended to feel increasing pain as the voltage of the shocks escalated. At one point, he cried out, 'I can't stand the pain,' and begged to be released.

What percentage of participants were willing to administer potentially fatal shocks?

Approximately two-thirds of the participants were willing to administer potentially fatal shocks when encouraged to do so by the authority figure.

How did the experiment challenge beliefs about American citizens?

Milgram's findings shocked Americans, as they demonstrated that decent citizens were capable of committing acts against their conscience when instructed by authority, similar to the actions of Germans under the Nazi regime.

What was the broader implication of Milgram's experiment?

The broader implication of Milgram's experiment was that obedience to authority can lead individuals to perform harmful actions, even when those actions conflict with their personal morals, shedding light on human behavior in the context of atrocities.