Khan Academy p 181-190 Milgram Experiment Analysis

The tendency for ordinary people to obey orders from an authority figure, even if those orders go against their personal morals or beliefs.

The study found that a significant percentage of participants were willing to inflict pain on others simply because they were instructed to do so by an authority figure.

People often use this phenomenon to justify their own actions, believing that bad things happen to people who deserve them.

Participants who felt ashamed of their actions often blamed the victims for their own suffering, attributing their negative experiences to personal shortcomings.

Milgram's experiment was controversial because it involved causing distress to participants, raising ethical concerns.

Despite its controversial nature, Milgram's experiment has had a lasting impact on our understanding of obedience and authority.

Repeating the study with different groups yielded similar results, highlighting the consistent nature of human behavior in the face of authority.

The experiment was conducted at Yale University, a prestigious institution that likely heightened participants' confidence in the authority figure.

The tendency to attribute people's actions to their personality traits or flaws instead of external factors. It often leads to judging individuals based on their group membership. For example, assuming someone is lazy because they are unemployed, without considering potential economic or societal factors.

The tendency to minimize our role in negative outcomes and exaggerate our contributions to positive outcomes. In other words, we often blame external factors for our failures and take credit for our successes.

The act of transferring responsibility for one's own actions to others. This can be seen in obedience to authority, where individuals may justify their actions by saying they were simply "following orders."

The Stanford Prison Experiment was a study conducted in 1971 to investigate how social roles and norms can influence behavior. College students were assigned roles as prisoners or guards in a simulated prison environment. The experiment demonstrated the power of social situations in shaping individual behavior, highlighting how ordinary people can engage in extraordinary acts.

The tendency to conform to the behavior of a group or authority figure, even if it goes against one's own beliefs or values. It can lead to individuals following orders that they might otherwise reject, as seen in the Milgram experiment.

The idea that acts considered morally wrong are not solely committed by "bad" individuals, but can be influenced by situational factors and social pressures. Ordinary people can engage in unethical or harmful behavior when placed in certain contexts.

Attributing someone's behaviour to their internal characteristics or personality traits rather than the situation they are in.

Attributing someone's behaviour to the situation they are in rather than their internal characteristics or personality traits.

The state of being in a group and losing a sense of individual identity, resulting in reduced self-awareness and personal responsibility.

The mental discomfort in being aware of inconsistencies between our actions and our beliefs.

A process of reducing cognitive dissonance by justifying one's actions. Often involves distorting the reality of the situation to make the behaviour seem more acceptable.

The process where people adopt the roles they are assigned, incorporating them into their beliefs and influencing their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.

The Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrated the powerful influence of social roles and situations on individual behaviour.

The Stanford Prison Experiment showed that normal people can engage in harmful behaviours when placed in positions of authority.

The Stanford Prison Experiment was a psychological experiment conducted at Stanford University in 1971 to study the psychological effects of power, authority, and identity on the behavior of individuals.

Participants in the study were randomly assigned to roles of either guards or prisoners. They were given uniforms, instructions and props that reinforced their assigned roles.

Prisoners were fingerprinted, handcuffed, and given numbers. They were treated as prisoners from the start. Prisoners were stripped of their privacy and subjected to control measures and the environment was designed to be unlike the outside world.

Guards were given uniforms, batons, and sunglasses, and had to refer to prisoners by numbers. They were told not to physically harm prisoners, but could create fear and loss of privacy, control, and individuality.

Prisoners started rebelling against guards. Guards retaliated, leading to an escalation of conflict, with guards using physical and psychological tactics to maintain control. Prisoner rebellion was an attempt to reclaim their lost autonomy and identity.

After only 36 hours, some prisoners began to break down, experiencing depression, rage, and screaming.

The Stanford Prison Experiment was ended early due to the extreme emotional and psychological distress experienced by the participants.

The Stanford Prison Experiment serves as an example of the powerful influence that situational factors have on human behavior. It highlights the potential dangers of social roles and the importance of ethical considerations in research.

People are more likely to conform when they think they will be accepted rather than shunned by the group.

Past commitments influence our future conformity. If we've already expressed an opinion aligned with the group, we're more likely to conform; if we disagree, we're less likely to change our mind.

When we feel insecure, we are more likely to follow the judgements of others and conform to the group.

The tendency to obey orders from an authority figure, even if those orders go against one's personal morals or beliefs.

The closer we are to the authority figure giving orders, the more likely we are to obey. This proximity can be physical or social.

We are more likely to obey authority figures who appear legitimate, such as those wearing uniforms or holding official positions.

In Milgram's experiment, when the learner could be seen, participants were less likely to obey the experimenter. This emphasizes the impact of the victim's visibility.

When individuals are made to seem less human, such as by stereotypes or prejudices, people are less likely to object to their suffering.

The tendency for people to put in less effort when working in a group, especially if individual contributions are not evaluated.

The effect where individuals change their behavior when they know they are being observed.

The process of learning the norms, values, and behaviors of a society.

Parts of society that transmit cultural norms, values, and beliefs.

The most important agent of socialization, teaching us basic skills, values, and social interactions.

The reduction in individual effort and productivity within a group due to social loafing.

Social loafing can be reduced by increasing the difficulty of the task, separating individual performance within the group, or assigning specific tasks to each member.

Social loafing can happen in group projects, where individuals put in less effort and the group performs poorly.