Stanley MilgramStanley MilgramA lesson in obeyingA lesson in obeying

How far do you think people will How far do you think people will go in the name of obedience?go in the name of obedience?

Where we're at....Where we're at....We have previously discussed Zimbardo’s prison We have previously discussed Zimbardo’s prison

experiment on status and power which now leads experiment on status and power which now leads onto obedience.onto obedience.

Milgram’s work on obedience in1963 extended Milgram’s work on obedience in1963 extended from Solomon Asch’s line experiment in 1956 on from Solomon Asch’s line experiment in 1956 on conformity (which we will discuss next Thursday)conformity (which we will discuss next Thursday)

Milgram was one of Asch’s critics so due to this Milgram was one of Asch’s critics so due to this and other personal reasons regarding the Nazis and other personal reasons regarding the Nazis he conducted further research in the area.he conducted further research in the area.

Who has heard of Milgram’s experiments?Who has heard of Milgram’s experiments?

Are Germans different?Are Germans different? In the beginning, In the beginning,

Stanley Milgram was Stanley Milgram was worried about the worried about the Nazi problem.Nazi problem.

His research aim was His research aim was to provide evidence to provide evidence for the “Germans are for the “Germans are different” hypothesisdifferent” hypothesis

Stanley Milgram was Stanley Milgram was a social psychologist a social psychologist at Yale University in at Yale University in 1960. 1960.

““Germans are different” Germans are different” hypothesishypothesis

The hypothesis The hypothesis has been used has been used by historians to by historians to explain the explain the systematic systematic destruction of destruction of the Jews the Jews

Milgram set out to Milgram set out to test whether test whether Germans have a Germans have a basic character flawbasic character flaw A readiness to obey A readiness to obey

authority without authority without question, no matter question, no matter what outrageous what outrageous acts the authority acts the authority commands.commands.

Milgram developed a laboratory experiment which Milgram developed a laboratory experiment which provided a systematic way to measure obedience.provided a systematic way to measure obedience.

His decision to study obedience was tempered by his own His decision to study obedience was tempered by his own Jewish cultural background.Jewish cultural background.

His plan was to test the hypothesis on the population of His plan was to test the hypothesis on the population of New Haven on Americans and then go to Germany and New Haven on Americans and then go to Germany and test the German population.test the German population.

Milgram’s experimental Milgram’s experimental designdesign

Milgram recruited participants using a Milgram recruited participants using a newspaper advert (he did 17 experiments newspaper advert (he did 17 experiments using 40 males between 20-50 and 1 using 40 males between 20-50 and 1 experiment using 40 females between 20-experiment using 40 females between 20-50)50)

The participants arrived at The Yale The participants arrived at The Yale Interaction Laboratory and were met by Interaction Laboratory and were met by the “professor”, Jack Williams, a man the “professor”, Jack Williams, a man dressed in a white laboratory coat.dressed in a white laboratory coat.

The participants met another man The participants met another man who was in his 50s.who was in his 50s.

The experimenter ‘professor’ explains The experimenter ‘professor’ explains the experiment to both of them the experiment to both of them participants:participants:

““It is about learning. Science does not It is about learning. Science does not know much about negative know much about negative

reinforcement on learning. Negative reinforcement on learning. Negative reinforcement is getting punished when reinforcement is getting punished when you get something wrong. In this case, it you get something wrong. In this case, it

will be an electric shock.”will be an electric shock.”

Milgram’s Obedience Milgram’s Obedience researchresearch

Milgram’s experimental Milgram’s experimental designdesign

The experimenter takes two pieces The experimenter takes two pieces of paper and places them in a hat. of paper and places them in a hat. The two pieces of paper say The two pieces of paper say “Teacher” and “Learner”.“Teacher” and “Learner”.

You and the man in his 50’s reach in You and the man in his 50’s reach in to find out what your role isto find out what your role isYou look at yours, it says “Teacher”.You look at yours, it says “Teacher”.The man then becomes the “Learner”.The man then becomes the “Learner”.

The experimenter says to the The experimenter says to the learner whilst you are standing learner whilst you are standing next to him: next to him:

““I want you to step right in here and take I want you to step right in here and take a seat, please…. Roll up your right a seat, please…. Roll up your right sleeve, please. sleeve, please.

Now what I want you to do is strap down Now what I want you to do is strap down your arms to avoid excessive movement your arms to avoid excessive movement on your part during the experiment. on your part during the experiment.

This electrode is connected to the shock This electrode is connected to the shock generator in the next room.”generator in the next room.”

Milgram’s experimental set-Milgram’s experimental set-upup

Milgram’s Experimental Milgram’s Experimental DesignDesign Once set up, the teacher is required to read out a list Once set up, the teacher is required to read out a list

of words and their pairs. The teacher is then told to of words and their pairs. The teacher is then told to read out words and the learner was told to provide read out words and the learner was told to provide the word pair. If the learner gave the wrong answer, the word pair. If the learner gave the wrong answer, the teacher would administer an electric shock. In this the teacher would administer an electric shock. In this way the study was apparently investigating the effect way the study was apparently investigating the effect of punishment on memory. of punishment on memory.

Each time the learner made a mistake, the teacher Each time the learner made a mistake, the teacher had to increase the strength of the electric shock. The had to increase the strength of the electric shock. The experimenter sat in the room with the teacher experimenter sat in the room with the teacher encouraging the teacher to administer the shocks encouraging the teacher to administer the shocks even after the learner cried out in pain and even after the learner cried out in pain and complained of a bad heart. complained of a bad heart.

The Shock Generator The Shock Generator (from 15volts to 450volts)(from 15volts to 450volts)

Would Milgram’s Would Milgram’s participants obey?participants obey?

What percentage of participants What percentage of participants do you believe would obey?do you believe would obey?

At what voltage would you obey?At what voltage would you obey?

Milgram’s result Milgram’s result 65% of Milgram’s participants delivered the full (and fatal) 65% of Milgram’s participants delivered the full (and fatal)

450 volt shock. (fill in the next two questions on your sheet)450 volt shock. (fill in the next two questions on your sheet) Even though the learner gave out an agonised scream at 285 Even though the learner gave out an agonised scream at 285

volts, a refusal to answer at 315 volts and only ominous volts, a refusal to answer at 315 volts and only ominous silence after that.silence after that.

The learner (50 year old man) in the study was a confederate The learner (50 year old man) in the study was a confederate and no real shocks were given in the experiment except for and no real shocks were given in the experiment except for the 45v example shock given to the teacherthe 45v example shock given to the teacher

So why did the participants obey? Most participants So why did the participants obey? Most participants (teachers) groaned, protested, fidgeted, argued and in some (teachers) groaned, protested, fidgeted, argued and in some cases, were seized by fits of nerves. Many looked to the cases, were seized by fits of nerves. Many looked to the experimenter for guidance but he would only reply with: “You experimenter for guidance but he would only reply with: “You have no option, you must go on”. have no option, you must go on”.

Killing in the name of….Killing in the name of….Gas ovens at Auschwitz (6 million Jews)

Rwandan genocide

Vietcong deaths

WHY?WHY?

Were the Germans Were the Germans different?different?

The answer is The answer is “No”.“No”.

Milgram’s Milgram’s experimental experimental results in 1963 results in 1963 provide evidence provide evidence that atrocities can that atrocities can happen happen ANYWHERE.ANYWHERE.

What can we learn?What can we learn?