Obedience to Authority

What Makes People Obey Authority? Why do you do what I tell you to do? Why do you do what I tell you to do? Who else do you obey? Who else do you obey? Why? Why?

Nazi Germany

Stanley Milgram - Background Parents were Jews in WW2 Wanted to test the “Germans are Different Hypothesis” Do the Germans have a basic character defect, which causes them to obey authority?

Milgram’s Study A laboratory experiment which took place at Yale University

Milgram’s Experiment 3 PEOPLE : THE EXPERIMENTER THE EXPERIMENTER LAB COAT AS A SYMBOL OF AUTHORITY TEACHER TEACHER NAÏVE PARTICIPANT LEARNER LEARNERCONFEDERATE

PARTICIPANTS RECRUITED VIA NEWSPAPER ADVERTISMENT RECRUITED VIA NEWSPAPER ADVERTISMENT INFORMED STUDY WAS ABOUT MEMORY AND LEARNING AND EFFECTS OF PUNISHMENT ON LEARNING INFORMED STUDY WAS ABOUT MEMORY AND LEARNING AND EFFECTS OF PUNISHMENT ON LEARNING EXPENSES AND A FEE PAID EXPENSES AND A FEE PAID 40 MALES 40 MALES WIDE VARIETY OF BACKGROUNDS WIDE VARIETY OF BACKGROUNDS

EXPERIMENTER 31 yr old BIOLOGY TEACHER 31 yr old BIOLOGY TEACHER IMPASSIVE MANNER IMPASSIVE MANNER STERN STERN WEARS A LAB COAT WEARS A LAB COAT

CONFEDERATE 47 yr old ACCOUNTANT 47 yr old ACCOUNTANT IRISH-AMERICAN IRISH-AMERICAN MILD-MANNERED AND LIKEABLE MILD-MANNERED AND LIKEABLE

PROCEDURE SLIPS OF PAPER TAKEN FROM HAT TO DETERMINE WHO WOULD BE TEACHER SLIPS OF PAPER TAKEN FROM HAT TO DETERMINE WHO WOULD BE TEACHER BOTH SLIPS “TEACHER” BOTH SLIPS “TEACHER” LEARNER STRAPPED INTO ‘ELECTRIC CHAIR’ IN A DIFFERENT ROOM LEARNER STRAPPED INTO ‘ELECTRIC CHAIR’ IN A DIFFERENT ROOM TEACHER GIVEN ‘SAMPLE SHOCK’ (45v) TEACHER GIVEN ‘SAMPLE SHOCK’ (45v) TEACHER TOLD THAT AT EVERY MISTAKE VOLTAGE MUST BE INCREASED TEACHER TOLD THAT AT EVERY MISTAKE VOLTAGE MUST BE INCREASED

PROCEDURE continued… If participants asked about the shocks: If participants asked about the shocks: “Although the shocks may be painful, there is no permanent tissue damage” “Although the shocks may be painful, there is no permanent tissue damage” Teacher reads out pairs of words Teacher reads out pairs of words Learner must respond to stimulus correctly to avoid punishment. Learner must respond to stimulus correctly to avoid punishment. Learner deliberately gets them wrong Learner deliberately gets them wrong Teacher administers shock with each wrong response Teacher administers shock with each wrong response

PROCEDURE continued… Learner was heard to be distressed and in pain. Learner was heard to be distressed and in pain. If teacher hesitated the experimenter used the following ‘prods’: If teacher hesitated the experimenter used the following ‘prods’: “Please continue” “Please continue” “The experiment requires that you continue” “The experiment requires that you continue” “It’s absolutely essential that you continue” “It’s absolutely essential that you continue” “You have no other choice, you must go on” “You have no other choice, you must go on”

SHOCKS Each wrong answer resulted in an increase in shocks. Each wrong answer resulted in an increase in shocks. Started at 15v (Mild Shock) and went up to 450v (Severe and Dangerous Shock) Started at 15v (Mild Shock) and went up to 450v (Severe and Dangerous Shock)

What percentage of the participants do you think administered the highest shock of 450v?

RESULTS 100% of participants continued to 300v (Extremely intense shock) 100% of participants continued to 300v (Extremely intense shock) 65% of participants went all the way up to 450v 65% of participants went all the way up to 450v

c_Ns c_Ns

Why did the participants obey?

WHY DID THEY OBEY? YALE UNIVERSITY IS PRESTIGIOUS YALE UNIVERSITY IS PRESTIGIOUS ADVANCEMENT OF KNOWLEDGE – THOUGHT EXPERIMENT WAS FOR A WORTHY PURPOSE ADVANCEMENT OF KNOWLEDGE – THOUGHT EXPERIMENT WAS FOR A WORTHY PURPOSE VOLUNTEER VICTIM VOLUNTEER VICTIM OBLIGATION TO EXPERIMENTER OBLIGATION TO EXPERIMENTER

WHY DID THEY OBEY? PAYMENT PAYMENT COULD HAVE BEEN ME – THOUGHT ROLES OF LEARNER AND TEACHER HAD BEEN ALLOCATED FAIRLY COULD HAVE BEEN ME – THOUGHT ROLES OF LEARNER AND TEACHER HAD BEEN ALLOCATED FAIRLY WERE TOLD THE SHOCKS WERE PAINFUL BUT NOT DANGEROUS WERE TOLD THE SHOCKS WERE PAINFUL BUT NOT DANGEROUS

CONCLUSION Ordinary people can follow orders given by an authority figure, even if it requires doing something inhumane. Ordinary people can follow orders given by an authority figure, even if it requires doing something inhumane. Obedience to authority is ingrained in all of us through how we are brought up. Obedience to authority is ingrained in all of us through how we are brought up.

CONCLUSION continued Obedience is due to situational factors – i.e. experimental settings, rather than dispositional factors, i.e. a deviant personality Obedience is due to situational factors – i.e. experimental settings, rather than dispositional factors, i.e. a deviant personality