Stanley Milgram

Definition

Stanley Milgram was a social psychologist best known for his groundbreaking experiments on obedience to authority during the early 1960s. His work revealed the extent to which individuals would comply with instructions that conflicted with their personal conscience, highlighting the psychological mechanisms behind obedience and its implications in society. His studies are foundational in understanding how social influence operates, especially concerning obedience.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Milgram's most famous experiment involved participants believing they were administering electric shocks to a learner, testing their willingness to follow orders even when it caused apparent harm.
2. Approximately 65% of participants continued to administer shocks up to the maximum voltage, showcasing a high level of obedience despite moral objections.
3. The experiments sparked significant ethical debates regarding the treatment of human subjects and led to stricter ethical standards in psychological research.
4. Milgram's findings revealed that situational factors, rather than personality traits, greatly influenced levels of obedience.
5. His work has had a lasting impact on psychology, sociology, and even modern-day discussions about authority and compliance in various contexts.

Review Questions

• How did Stanley Milgram's experiments demonstrate the power of authority in influencing behavior?
  • Milgram's experiments showed that ordinary people could commit acts they normally wouldn't consider under the influence of an authority figure. Participants believed they were inflicting pain on another person simply because they were instructed to do so by an experimenter in a lab coat. This illustrated that the perceived legitimacy of authority can lead individuals to prioritize obedience over their moral judgments.
• Discuss the ethical implications raised by Milgram's obedience studies and how they have influenced modern psychological research practices.
  • Milgram's studies raised serious ethical concerns regarding participant well-being, as many experienced extreme stress and anxiety during the experiments. This led to a reevaluation of ethical standards in psychological research, emphasizing informed consent, the right to withdraw without penalty, and minimizing harm. Consequently, these changes have shaped how contemporary research is conducted, ensuring that participant rights are upheld.
• Evaluate the broader societal implications of Milgram's findings on obedience and how they relate to real-world scenarios involving authority figures.
  • Milgram's findings have profound implications for understanding how individuals respond to authority in various contexts, such as military settings, workplaces, and during crises. The results highlight how situational pressures can lead people to act against their moral beliefs when directed by an authoritative figure. This understanding is crucial for analyzing historical events, such as atrocities committed during wars or systemic injustices where individuals defer to perceived authorities.

Related terms

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

Social Influence: The process by which individuals change their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors as a result of real or imagined pressure from others.

Ethics in Psychology: A set of moral principles that guide research conduct, focusing on the rights and well-being of participants.