Question

Discuss the Milgram experiment and what it taught us about the evil that subjects are willing to commit when they believe they are responding to an authority figure

Answer 1

Milgram experiment

The Milgram experiment was an experiment on obedience to authority figures that have taken place there at Yale University during the year 1961 under the guidance of the psychologist Stanley Milgram. Through this experiment, he and his team measured the willingness of the participants in performing the instructions given by an authority figure. In the experiment, the participants were given the roles of "teachers" and "students" and they were told that they are on a memory test experiment. Stanley Milgram introduced an intimidating shock generator before the "teachers" having different shock levels such as slight shock, moderate shock, danger: severe shock, and a final option of XXX. The "teachers" were instructed by the authority to deliver shock and they thought that they were administering real shocks and the "students" pretended to be receiving a real shock. Many "teachers" used an increased shock level and the "students" pleaded to be released and the teachers did not release them. It is found that many of the teachers were extremely angry while administering shock on students and they were reluctant to resist the authority even if it harms others. By analyzing the results of the experiment Stanley Milgram said that it is not the kind of personality but the situation or authority determines the actions of individuals.

Lessons from the Milgram experiment

The following are the lessons from the experiment.

• It is not the kind of personality but the situation or authority determines the actions of individuals.
• People may forget their personal responsibility when they view themselves as mere instruments of authoritarian figures.
• A majority of people will tend to blindly obey the authority by ignoring the personal harm they may cause to others.

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