Obedience to Authority: The Stanley Milgram Experiments Obedience = changing behavior in response to a demand from an authority figure

Milgram Obedience Studies 40 male subjects, variety of backgrounds Told experiment was to study effects of punishment on learning/memory learn word pairs Teacher (subject) is to increasingly shock learner for wrong answers 15 volts (“slight shock”) – 450 volts (“XXX”) Learner (confederate) is strapped into chair, electrodes attached to arms Not actually being shocked, but teachers don’t know this – pain sounds prerecorded When teacher would question continuing, experimenter told him he must continue

Milgram Obedience Studies

Milgram Obedience Studies Results surprised everyone: 26 out of 40 (65%) went all the way to 450 volts (potentially lethal) Only 5 stopped before 300 volts Very stressful for participant – often protested, but still obeyed

Milgram Obedience Studies Conducted a variety of follow-up studies to further understanding of forces influencing obedience: Experimenter Status & Prestige When conducted by “private firm” in run-down rented building instead of Yale Obedience dropped slightly (48%) Proximity of learner Obedience dropped when “learner” was close by, in same room Decreased even more when had to make contact w/ learner (force hand down) Proximity of authority figure Obedience decreased greatly when experimenter phoned in directions Some even tried to deceive the experimenter Behavior of others 3 teachers in experiment (2 confederates, 1 actual subject) When other 2 refused to continue, obedience dropped to only 10%

Milgram Obedience Studies Many have questioned the ethics of the study Milgram defended Participants were debriefed Many reported positive experiences Claimed benefits outweighed any harm What do you think? What would you have done? Obeyed? or resisted?