OBEDIENCE

Stanley Milgram1962, 1974

In Milgram’s Own Words

• What was Milgram’s motive for studying obedience to authority?

Set-Up• “Memory” study• 40 participants• Experimenter, Teacher, and

Learner (confederate)

Instructions• Read a series of word

pairings, test learner’s memory

• Wrong answers received a shock– Teacher receives

example shock (45 volts)• Shock intensities

increased as questions continued

Deception

• Learner = confederate• No actual shocks

administered• “slight heart

condition”

The Experiment• Experimenter urged to participants to comply• Learner complains about heart condition, screams,

eventually goes silent (unconscious? dead?)– Sweating– Head rubbing– Sighs– Uneasiness– Nervous laughter– Chain smoking

Results

• Over 60% of participants complied to the end

Why Obey?

• The person giving the orders was close at hand• The person giving the orders was perceived to be a

legitimate authority figure.• The authority figure was from a prestigious

institution• The victim was depersonalized or perceived at a

distance• There were no role models for defiance, no other

participants were seen disobeying the experimenter

Debriefing

• Reconciliation between teacher and learner• No harm done

Ethical Concerns• Is it ethical to deceive a human into believing

they are harming or even killing another human?– Causes excessive cognitive dissonance

Attitude 1

•Obedience to authority is good

Attitude 2

• Harming others is bad

Resolution

• Obedience to authority is paramount

• Not my fault if learner is harmed

Would people respond the same now?British Psychological Society (BPS)

• Avoid intentional deception of clients unless: – deception is necessary in

exceptional circumstances to preserve the integrity of research or the efficacy of professional services;

– any additional safeguards required for the preservation of client welfare are specifically considered; and

– the nature of the deception is disclosed to clients at the earliest feasible opportunity.

American Psychological Association (APA)

• Psychologists do not conduct a study involving deception unless– they have determined that the use

of deceptive techniques is justified by the study’s significant prospective scientific, educational, or applied value and that effective nondeceptive alternative procedures are not feasible.

– Psychologists do not deceive prospective participants about research that is reasonably expected to cause physical pain or severe emotional distress.

Jerry Burger’s Modifications

• Max. shock level = 150 volts– Milgram’s max. shock level =

450 volts• “Carefully screened”

participants to eliminate those who might experience negative reactions to the experiment.– Milgram = average screening

Human Nature

• 60% of participants completed the study what does this say about human nature?– Wolves (are we inherently evil?)– Sheep (are we naturally good and/or obedient?)

Wolves SheepEvil Good

Final Thoughts

• In a few sentences, explain your position concerning the question: Are humans naturally evil or naturally obedient?– You must use psychological evidence from social

psychology (research study findings and/or vocabulary terms) to support your answer.