Explanations of why people obey

Milgram demonstrated the power that a situation has in shaping behaviour. It seems that sometimes our compassion and conscience can be sidelined when confronted by a powerful authority figure. So, why do we do this? Why do we obey?

We will analyse whether the findings of Milgram’s study can give us insight into the events of the Holocaust during WW2…..

Milgram gave 4 reasons as to why we obey: 1. Gradual commitment. 2. Agentic shift. 3. The role of buffers. 4. Justifying obedience.

Gradual Commitment Having given lower level shocks, it became hard for the participants to resist the requirements to continue. Foot-in-the-door method.

Agentic Shift “The condition a person is in when he sees himself carrying out another person’s wishes”. We shift from an autonomous state to an agentic state when entering a hierarchy of authority.

The role of buffers Putting the teacher and the learner in different rooms created a buffering effect. Creates the same effect as the difference between a cruise missile and a machete.

Justifying obedience An ideology was offered as reason for continuing (“it is good for science if you continue”). People appear to surrender their freedom of action if they believe that they are serving a cause.

A question? Can these 4 rather simple explanations really explain the atrocities witnessed during the Holocaust? Mandel and others don’t think so…..

Monocausal emphasis Mandel (1998) ◦ Suggests that Milgram ignored many other plausible explanations for the atrocities of the Holocaust.

Agentic Shift The time span was so different, however Milgram likened his participants to the soldiers who carried out their duties over months, as he said that the same process (agentic shift) was in operation.

Gradual commitment Such as the gradual escalation of violence witnessed by the US Guards in Abu Ghraib prison.

Justifying obedience Nazi Germany conditioned the soldiers for years to think of Jews as a danger to all Germans. The guards in Abu Ghraib were almost given justifiable reasons for their actions. “The Jewish spirit undermines the healthy powers of the German people”

Extension: Problems with an obedience alibi There are negative consequences of using Milgram’s obedience alibi for the Holocaust: ◦ Unjustified given the historical record. ◦ Distressing for those impacted to say that soldiers were “just obeying orders”. ◦ This explanation effectively exonerates war criminals.

Can you….. Give two explanations of why people obey, and offer one criticism of each of these (12 marks)