Milgram’s Baseline Procedure

Milgram’s Baseline Procedure

• 63% shock to the limit (STL)

Questions From Milgram’s Paradigm (1)

• Is blind obedience to authority a distinctly American characteristic?

• Did the ‘teacher’ enjoy shocking the ‘learner?’

• Does the status of the authority figure affect obedience?

Questions From Milgram’s Paradigm (2)

• Does the personality of the victim affect obedience?

• Are the personalities of the maximally obedient and maximally rebellious subjects different?

• How would a moral person respond in Milgram’s study?

Questions From Milgram’s Paradigm (3)

• Were Milgram’s results predictable?

• Why are Milgram’s results surprising?

• A naive belief in the relationship of morality to behavior

Ethical Criticisms of Milgram’s Work

• No true informed consent

• Participants experienced significant stress

• Long-term negative effects on self-worth

Milgram’s Response To Ethical Criticism

• Extensive debriefing• After session discovered learner was not harmed• Participants were free to leave• No evidence of permanent psychological harm

Follow-up of Milgram’s Participants

• 80% reported that they were “Very Glad” or “Glad” they participated.

• 15% had “No Strong Feelings”• Just over 1% were “Sorry” or “Very Sorry”• 80% said more research of this kind should be done. • 74% said they learned something of lasting value.

A Question Mark: The Cost of Ethics?

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Joshua at Jericho

Salem Witch Trials

• In 1692, 20 were executed in Massachusetts

Turkish-Armenian Genocide

• 1.5 million of 2.5 million Armenians in Turkey were exterminated between 1915 and 1923.

• "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?"

Holocaust

• Six million Jews (67% of Europe’s population) were exterminated

• Others: Roma, mentally retarded, mentally disturbed, 3 million Soviet POWs, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Communists, Socialists

Cambodia: Killing Fields

• Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge kill 1.7 million (21% of population)

Rwanda

• In 1994, within 100 days 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus are exterminated

Kosovo: Ethnic Cleansing

How To Get Good Men and Women To Murder Their Neighbors

• Get them to say:

• I hate or

• I would never