Obedience to Authority:The Milgram Experiment

AP PSYCHCH 14

How far would you go to obey an authority figure?

Would you hurt someone? Would you kill someone? Would you break the law?

It is easy to say we would not, but studies in Social Psych say otherwise.

How and why do rational people obey?

Adolph Hitler in Germany Benito Mussolini in Italy Jim Jones , “Peoples Temple” Waco, Texas Suicide bombers

Stanley Milgram (1965, 1974)

Yale University Goal: Examine the role of social influence, conformity Became: Study on obedience to authority figures Led subjects to believe experiment was studying the effect of

punishment on learning. Learner = a confederate, acting, did not really get shocked Teacher = the volunteer being studied

Instructed to “shock” learner when they made an error Shock level increased every time answered wrong

Experiment Design

Independent Variable – (varied) physical proximity of authority figure (white-coated experimenter)

Dependent Variable – the teacher’s response, measured by level of shock they would go to before quitting

Before experiment began, each teacher given a real, low voltage shock

No shocks were really administered, but teacher thought they were.

Teacher thought learner was to memorize pairs of words. Learners followed an experimental script

At 75 volts – moan and grunt At 150 volts – demanded to stop At 180 volts – cried out “cannot take it any longer” At 375 volts – loud scream, then thud, then silence

If teacher hesitated or protested about administering the shock, the experimenter said “you must continue” “please continue”

Experiment ended when teacher refused or 450 volt max reached

Results

Nearly 2/3 delivered the maximum 450 volts to the learner.

Those who refused, obeyed until reaching 300 colts.

If a person got within 5 switches to the end, they went all the way.

Most verbally dissented, but behaviorally obeyed.

What does it mean?

Challenged myth that only sadistic people would blindly follow orders and harm someone. Obedience results from situational variables and not personality

variables. Man in white coat was also a hired actor. Perceived

authority as powerful as actual authority.

When do we Obey Authority?

When a peer modeled obedience When the victim was remote from the teacher When the teacher was under direct surveillance of the

authority figure When the authority figure was labeled a “professor” or

“doctor”

When we DO NOT obey

Only 10% of participants administered extreme shocks if they saw a peer refusing before hand.

Ethical?

By today’s standard, no Potential mental harm and stress on subjects Felt like the could not quit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOYLCy5PVgM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr5cjyokVUs