Stanley Milgram

Definition

Stanley Milgram was an American social psychologist best known for his controversial experiment on obedience to authority conducted in the 1960s. His work revealed how ordinary people could commit harmful acts when instructed by an authoritative figure, highlighting the powerful influence of authority bias in human behavior and decision-making.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Milgram's experiment involved participants believing they were administering electric shocks to another person, testing how far they would go in obeying orders from an authority figure.
2. The results showed that a significant majority of participants were willing to administer potentially lethal shocks, demonstrating the strength of authority bias.
3. Milgram's work raised important ethical questions about psychological research, particularly concerning participant deception and emotional distress.
4. His findings have been applied to various fields, including business, education, and military training, illustrating how authority influences decision-making in real-world situations.
5. Milgram's experiment has been replicated numerous times across different cultures and settings, consistently revealing high levels of obedience to authority.

Review Questions

• How did Stanley Milgram's experiments illustrate the concept of authority bias in decision-making?
  • Milgram's experiments demonstrated authority bias by showing that participants were willing to inflict pain on others when directed by an authority figure. Despite their discomfort and moral objections, many participants complied with the experimenter's commands to administer electric shocks. This highlights how individuals often prioritize obedience to authority over their own ethical considerations, making them susceptible to harmful actions.
• Discuss the ethical implications of Milgram's study and how they relate to modern research standards.
  • Milgram's study faced significant ethical scrutiny due to its use of deception and the emotional distress experienced by participants. Modern research standards require informed consent, debriefing, and the minimization of harm. While Milgram's findings are critical for understanding human behavior under authority, the ethical considerations surrounding his methods emphasize the importance of protecting participants in psychological research.
• Evaluate how Milgram's findings on obedience might inform current business practices regarding authority and decision-making.
  • Milgram's findings suggest that employees may follow orders from superiors even when those orders conflict with their personal ethics. This insight is crucial for businesses aiming to foster ethical cultures. Organizations can use this knowledge to implement training programs that encourage employees to question unethical directives and promote a culture where moral decision-making is prioritized over blind obedience, ultimately improving ethical standards within the workplace.

Related terms

Obedience: A form of social influence where an individual acts in response to a direct order from an authority figure.

Ethical considerations: The moral implications and responsibilities involved in conducting research, particularly in relation to the treatment of participants.

Authority bias: A cognitive bias that leads individuals to attribute greater accuracy or credibility to the opinions of an authority figure.