Obedience to AuthorityObedience to Authority

““The Final Solution”The Final Solution”

The Holocaust The Holocaust

““The Nazi The Nazi extermination of extermination of European Jews is European Jews is the most extreme the most extreme instance of instance of abhorrent immoral abhorrent immoral acts carried out by acts carried out by thousands of people thousands of people in the name of in the name of obedience”obedience”

Milgram 1974Milgram 1974

Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler review SS troops Himmler review SS troops

during Reich Party Day during Reich Party Day ceremonies ceremonies

Hitler Suspends Civil RightsHitler Suspends Civil Rights

..

Goebbels Urges Boycott Goebbels Urges Boycott

. .

Street Scene Street Scene

sm.sm.

The “Final Solution”The “Final Solution”

Millions of People are Killed.Millions of People are Killed.

Was such brutality simply a product Was such brutality simply a product of evil and sadistic minds or was this of evil and sadistic minds or was this extraordinary behaviour performed extraordinary behaviour performed by ordinary people?by ordinary people?

Evil or “Just following Evil or “Just following orders” orders”

Jews collaborating with Jews collaborating with NazisNazis

Nazis brought to justiceNazis brought to justice

War TrialsWar Trials . .

The Banality of EvilThe Banality of Evil

Terrifyingly “normal”Terrifyingly “normal”

““It would have been comforting indeed It would have been comforting indeed to believe that Eichmann was a to believe that Eichmann was a monster….The trouble with Eichmann monster….The trouble with Eichmann was precisely that so many were like was precisely that so many were like him, and that the many were neither him, and that the many were neither perverted or sadistic, that they were, perverted or sadistic, that they were, and still are, terribly and terrifyingly and still are, terribly and terrifyingly normal.” Arendt, 1963.normal.” Arendt, 1963.

Psychological study of Psychological study of obedienceobedience

One of the disturbing implications of the One of the disturbing implications of the holocaust was that “in certain circumstances holocaust was that “in certain circumstances the most ordinary decent person can the most ordinary decent person can become a criminal” (Arendt, 1963)become a criminal” (Arendt, 1963)

There is a need to understand the There is a need to understand the situational conditions under which people situational conditions under which people would suspend their own moral judgements would suspend their own moral judgements in order to carry out an order from a in order to carry out an order from a malevolent authority figure. malevolent authority figure.

Obedience to authority Obedience to authority (Milgram, 1963)(Milgram, 1963)

Many of the Nazi war criminals Many of the Nazi war criminals claimed that they did what they did claimed that they did what they did because they were following orders.because they were following orders.

Milgram’s 1963 experiment gives a Milgram’s 1963 experiment gives a platform to study viability of such an platform to study viability of such an explanationexplanation

Obedience in the face of Obedience in the face of crueltycruelty

Why do people obey Why do people obey when the action when the action required is required is inhumane?inhumane?

Will ordinary people Will ordinary people obey a legitimate obey a legitimate authority even when authority even when required to injure required to injure another person? another person? (obedience to unjust (obedience to unjust authority)authority)

Milgram’s (1963) studies:Milgram’s (1963) studies:obedience to authorityobedience to authority

• People were ostensibly randomly assigned the role of “teacher” in a “learning experiment.”

• The experimenter asked them to administer negative reinforcements in the form of electric shocks to a “learner” (a confederate of experimenter, and a nice man) who goes to an adjacent room.

• The level of the shocks was increased at each mistake with 15 volts, from 15 (marked on the machine as “slight shock”) to 450 volts (marked on the machine as “danger: severe shock”).

• As the shocks get worse, the learner protests more and more, then refuses to answer.

• The experimenter orders the learner to continue administering shocks: “you have no other choice, you must continue”.

How far will people go?How far will people go?

0

10

2030

40

50

60

7080

90

100

15-60

75-120

135-180

195-240

255-300

315-350

375-420

435-450

Level of Shock (Volts)

Actual

Predicted

Willing participants?Willing participants?

I observed a mature and initially poised I observed a mature and initially poised businessman enter the laboratory smiling and businessman enter the laboratory smiling and confident. Within 20 minutes he was reduced to confident. Within 20 minutes he was reduced to a twitching, shuddering wreck, who was rapidly a twitching, shuddering wreck, who was rapidly approaching nervous collapse. He constantly approaching nervous collapse. He constantly pulled on his ear lobe, and twisted his hands. At pulled on his ear lobe, and twisted his hands. At one point he pushed his fist into his forehead and one point he pushed his fist into his forehead and muttered ‘Oh God, lets stop it’. And yet he muttered ‘Oh God, lets stop it’. And yet he continued to respond to every word of the continued to respond to every word of the experimenter, and obeyed to the end.experimenter, and obeyed to the end.

MilgramMilgram

Variations to the Procedure:Variations to the Procedure:Milgram (1974) Milgram (1974)

Immediacy of the victim:Immediacy of the victim: If the victim could only be heard, 65% of teachers went to the If the victim could only be heard, 65% of teachers went to the

limit. If they had visual contact, that number declined. However, limit. If they had visual contact, that number declined. However, even when the teacher had to keep the learner’s hand on a “shock even when the teacher had to keep the learner’s hand on a “shock plate” himself, 30% continued to administer shocks up to 450Vplate” himself, 30% continued to administer shocks up to 450V

Immediacy/ proximity of authority figure:Immediacy/ proximity of authority figure: When the experimenter delivered instructions by phone, only When the experimenter delivered instructions by phone, only

20.5% continued to obey. 20.5% continued to obey.

Legitimacy of authority:Legitimacy of authority: When the experiment was conducted in a run down office building When the experiment was conducted in a run down office building

obedience dropped to 48%.obedience dropped to 48%.

Social influences:Social influences: If a second teacher was present who complied, obedience soared If a second teacher was present who complied, obedience soared

to 92% full compliance. If the other refused, only 10% of to 92% full compliance. If the other refused, only 10% of participants went up to 450V.participants went up to 450V.

Reflecting on Milgram’s Reflecting on Milgram’s contributioncontribution

Milgram’s experiments are powerful because they were Milgram’s experiments are powerful because they were very simple, very real, and very disturbing.very simple, very real, and very disturbing.

This research is very typical for 1970s research in its This research is very typical for 1970s research in its emphasis on the darker side of human nature:emphasis on the darker side of human nature: It paints a very bleak picture of what people are like.It paints a very bleak picture of what people are like. Social influence is equated with something that is Social influence is equated with something that is

negative + extreme. negative + extreme. Individualism is celebrated.Individualism is celebrated.

Milgram’s experiments also contributed to the end of high Milgram’s experiments also contributed to the end of high impact social psychological research because of the ethical impact social psychological research because of the ethical

issues they raised.issues they raised.