Questions and Answers
What was the primary goal of Stanley Milgram's experiment?
What percentage of participants administered the maximum 450-volt shock?
What was the role of the actor in the experiment?
What was the age range of the participants in the experiment?
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What was the increment in voltage after each incorrect answer?
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What was the key finding of the experiment?
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What was the inspiration behind Milgram's experiment?
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What is one of the implications of the experiment?
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Study Notes
Destructive Obedience: Stanley Milgram Experiment
Background
- Conducted by Stanley Milgram in 1961 at Yale University
- Investigated the conflict between obedience to authority and personal morals
- Inspired by the Nazi war crimes and the role of obedience in the Holocaust
Experiment Design
- 40 male participants, aged 20-50, from various occupations
- Participants were paired with another person (an actor) and told to administer electric shocks to the other person each time they answered a question incorrectly
- Participants were told the experiment was to study the effects of punishment on learning
- The actor was not actually receiving shocks, but pretended to be in pain
Procedure
- Participants were instructed to increase the voltage of the shock by 15 volts after each incorrect answer
- The actor would protest and express pain as the voltage increased
- Participants were encouraged by the experimenter to continue administering shocks, despite their reservations
Results
- 65% of participants administered the maximum 450-volt shock, despite the actor's pleas to stop
- Many participants showed signs of distress and anxiety, but continued to obey the experimenter's instructions
- Only 1 participant refused to continue at the 150-volt level
Key Findings
- Obedience to authority can lead individuals to engage in destructive behavior
- People are more likely to obey an authority figure, even if it goes against their personal morals
- The presence of an authority figure can reduce personal responsibility and increase the likelihood of obedience
Implications
- Highlights the dangers of blind obedience and the importance of critical thinking
- Provides insight into the psychological mechanisms underlying destructive obedience
- Has implications for our understanding of human behavior in situations like the Holocaust, Abu Ghraib, and other atrocities
Stanley Milgram Experiment
Background
- Conducted in 1961 at Yale University to investigate the conflict between obedience to authority and personal morals
- Inspired by the Nazi war crimes and the role of obedience in the Holocaust
Experiment Design
- 40 male participants, aged 20-50, from various occupations were paired with an actor
- Participants were told to administer electric shocks to the actor for each incorrect answer, with the goal of studying punishment on learning
- The actor pretended to receive shocks and expressed pain as voltage increased
Procedure
- Participants increased voltage by 15 volts after each incorrect answer
- Actor protested and expressed pain, while participants were encouraged by the experimenter to continue
Results
- 65% of participants administered the maximum 450-volt shock despite the actor's pleas
- Participants showed signs of distress and anxiety, but continued to obey the experimenter
- Only 1 participant refused to continue at the 150-volt level
Key Findings
- Obedience to authority can lead individuals to engage in destructive behavior
- People obey authority figures even if it goes against their personal morals
- Authority figures reduce personal responsibility and increase obedience likelihood
Implications
- Highlights the dangers of blind obedience and the importance of critical thinking
- Provides insight into psychological mechanisms underlying destructive obedience
- Has implications for understanding human behavior in situations like the Holocaust and Abu Ghraib
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Description
Explore the famous psychology experiment that investigated the conflict between obedience to authority and personal morals, and its relation to the Holocaust.
