Question

SOCIOLOGY MILGRAM'S OBEDIENCE

Write 1-3 paragraphs in which you discuss the implications of the obedience findings. In other words, how does this research add to our understanding of the extent to which groups and/or authority can have power over behavior?

a. In your discussion of the implications of the research, use information from Chapter 5 in order to argue the ways by which this research demonstrates the power of groups/authority on an individual’s behavior.

b. You must use at least two concepts/terms/theories. Be sure that these terms are relevant to the study’s findings and that you show you understand the concept/term/theory in your writing. You must bold or underline the concept/term/theory that you use or else it will not be counted.

Answer 1

As we see the implications of that experiment, we get Milgram’s study became controversial because of it raised questions about the right to subject participants to extreme stress, etc. It was also interestingly, proven by other psychologists and raised awareness on the psychology of obedience. Milgram found that if other participants did not feel that the shocks were ethical, more people would likely stop the experiment. He also found that certain factors, such as the prestige of the university, presence of the experimenter, and the random selection of teacher and students, led the participants to believe that they were only obeying commands from a responsible figure (Cherry). They also felt that they were not responsible and were not causing deathly harm to the confederates, and thus they continued to deliver the shocks (Cherry).

A)

According to Milgram, there are a number of situational factors that can explain such high levels of obedience:

• The physical presence of an authority figure dramatically increased compliance.

• The fact that the study was sponsored by Yale (a trusted and authoritative academic institution) led many participants to believe that the experiment must be safe.

• The selection of teacher and learner status seemed random.

• Participants assumed that the experimenter was a competent

• expert. The shocks were said to be painful, not dangerous. (Cherry)

B)

Milgram elaborated two theories:

• The first is the theory of conformism, based on Solomon Asch conformity experiments, describing the fundamental relationship between the group of reference and the individual person. A subject who has neither ability nor expertise to make decisions, especially in a crisis, will leave decision making to the group and its hierarchy. The group is the person's behavioral model.
• The second is the agentic state theory, wherein, per Milgram, "the essence of obedience consists in the fact that a person comes to view themselves as the instrument for carrying out another person's wishes, and they therefore no longer see themselves as responsible for their actions. Once this critical shift of viewpoint has occurred in the person, all of the essential features of obedience follow