Milgram Obedience Study

Summary

In the early 1960s, social psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted groundbreaking experiments at Yale University to understand the nature of human obedience to authority. The study involved participants administering electric shocks to a 'learner' upon making mistakes, escalating in voltage with each error. Despite the 'learner's' apparent distress, a significant majority of participants continued to the highest voltage levels due to the experimenter's authority. Milgram's findings revealed the disturbing extent to which individuals can act inhumanely when commanded by an authority figure, shedding light on the psychological mechanisms behind the Holocaust and raising ethical questions about the nature of obedience in society.

Takeaways

• 🕰️ The script discusses a period from the early 60s to the early 70s where social scientists conducted experiments to understand human behavior and its relationship to social conventions and situations.
• 🧐 Stanley Milgram, a prominent social psychologist, was particularly interested in the dangers of group behavior and blind obedience to authority.
• 🔬 Milgram's experiments aimed to explore the extent to which individuals would act inhumanely when commanded by an authority figure, even if it went against their conscience.
• 🌟 His study on obedience was a response to the atrocities committed during World War II, particularly the Holocaust, and sought to understand how ordinary people could participate in such acts.
• 🏫 The experiment took place at Yale University in 1962, involving 40 male subjects who were tasked with administering electric shocks to a 'learner' for incorrect answers.
• 🔋 The 'shock generator' was a key prop in the experiment, with voltage levels increasing with each wrong answer, and labels ranging from 'slight shock' to 'danger severe shock'.
• 🤔 The experiment was rigged, with the 'learner' being an accomplice, and their reactions pre-recorded to correspond with different voltage levels.
• 😣 Many subjects found the experience highly stressful, with some stammering, laughing hysterically, or showing signs of extreme conflict.
• 📉 Milgram's findings revealed that around 65% of participants were willing to administer the maximum voltage when pushed by an authoritative figure.
• 📚 The experiment has had a lasting impact on social psychology and continues to be taught and discussed in classrooms due to its relevance to understanding obedience and authority.
• 🌐 The script suggests that Milgram's findings are still relevant today, indicating a universal tendency for individuals to obey authority figures, which is a constant in social behavior.

Q & A

What was the time period during which the social scientists conducted experiments on human behavior?

The experiments were conducted in a unique period from the early 1960s to the early 1970s.

Who was Stanley Milgram and what was his area of interest?

Stanley Milgram was one of the most influential social psychologists of the time, particularly fascinated with the dangers of group behavior and blind obedience to authority.

What was the main question Milgram sought to answer through his experiments?

Milgram aimed to understand what in human nature allows an individual to act without any restraints, such as feelings of compassion or conscience.

What was the original motive behind Milgram's obedience experiment?

The original motive was to understand how the German people could permit the extermination of the Jews during World War II.

Where was Milgram's experiment conducted and what was the subject demographic?

The experiment was conducted at Yale University in May 1962, with subjects being 40 males between the ages of 20 and 50 residing in the Greater New Haven area.

What was the method used in Milgram's experiment to test obedience?

The method involved a word pair test where subjects had to administer electric shocks to a 'learner' for each incorrect answer, increasing the voltage with each mistake.

How was the 'learner' in Milgram's experiment actually an accomplice, and what was their role?

The 'learner' was an accomplice of the experiment, providing standardized verbal responses on tape for each voltage level, creating the illusion of receiving shocks.

What was the percentage of participants in Milgram's experiment who went to the highest level of shock?

Roughly sixty to sixty-five percent of the participants went all the way to the top of the shock board.

What was the critique of Milgram's experiment regarding the ethical treatment of participants?

Many subjects found the experiment to be a highly stressful and conflicted experience, leading to criticism about the ethics of putting people in such a situation.

How has Milgram's experiment permeated contemporary culture and thought?

Milgram's experiment has remained groundbreaking and relevant, influencing contemporary culture and thought by highlighting the universal readiness to obey authority figures.

What does the script suggest about the likelihood of similar obedience if Milgram's experiment were conducted today?

The script suggests that if Milgram were to conduct his experiment today, he would likely observe similar levels of obedience, indicating that human nature's tendency to obey authority is consistent over time.