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Obedience to Authority: The Milgram Experiment. AP PSYCH CH 14. How far would you go to obey an authority figure?. Would you hurt someone? Would you kill someone? Would you break the law? It is easy to say we would not, but studies in Social Psych say otherwise. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Obedience to Authority:The Milgram Experiment
AP PSYCHCH 14
How far would you go to obey an authority figure?
Would you hurt someone? Would you kill someone? Would you break the law?
It is easy to say we would not, but studies in Social Psych say otherwise.
How and why do rational people obey?
Adolph Hitler in Germany Benito Mussolini in Italy Jim Jones , “Peoples Temple” Waco, Texas Suicide bombers
Stanley Milgram (1965, 1974)
Yale University Goal: Examine the role of social influence, conformity Became: Study on obedience to authority figures Led subjects to believe experiment was studying the effect of
punishment on learning. Learner = a confederate, acting, did not really get shocked Teacher = the volunteer being studied
Instructed to “shock” learner when they made an error Shock level increased every time answered wrong
Experiment Design
Independent Variable – (varied) physical proximity of authority figure (white-coated experimenter)
Dependent Variable – the teacher’s response, measured by level of shock they would go to before quitting
Before experiment began, each teacher given a real, low voltage shock
No shocks were really administered, but teacher thought they were.
Teacher thought learner was to memorize pairs of words. Learners followed an experimental script
At 75 volts – moan and grunt At 150 volts – demanded to stop At 180 volts – cried out “cannot take it any longer” At 375 volts – loud scream, then thud, then silence
If teacher hesitated or protested about administering the shock, the experimenter said “you must continue” “please continue”
Experiment ended when teacher refused or 450 volt max reached
Results
Nearly 2/3 delivered the maximum 450 volts to the learner.
Those who refused, obeyed until reaching 300 colts.
If a person got within 5 switches to the end, they went all the way.
Most verbally dissented, but behaviorally obeyed.
What does it mean?
Challenged myth that only sadistic people would blindly follow orders and harm someone. Obedience results from situational variables and not personality
variables. Man in white coat was also a hired actor. Perceived
authority as powerful as actual authority.
When do we Obey Authority?
When a peer modeled obedience When the victim was remote from the teacher When the teacher was under direct surveillance of the
authority figure When the authority figure was labeled a “professor” or
“doctor”
When we DO NOT obey
Only 10% of participants administered extreme shocks if they saw a peer refusing before hand.
Ethical?
By today’s standard, no Potential mental harm and stress on subjects Felt like the could not quit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOYLCy5PVgM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr5cjyokVUs