Milgram Experiment

Definition

A series of psychological experiments conducted by Stanley Milgram which measured the willingness of participants to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform acts conflicting with their personal conscience.

Related terms

Obedience:

Compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority.

Authority Figure:

An individual perceived as having power due either position in a hierarchical social structure or personal qualities such as knowledge or charisma.

Conformity:

Adjusting one’s behavior or thinking based on group norms.