The Psychology of EvilThe Psychology of Evil

How far will people go in the How far will people go in the name of obedience?name of obedience?

Where we're at....Where we're at....You have previously discussed Zimbardo’s prison You 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 has been The hypothesis has been used by historians to used by historians to explain the systematic explain the systematic destruction of the Jews destruction of the Jews

Milgram set out to test Milgram set out to test whether Germans have a whether Germans have a basic character flaw basic character flaw which is a readiness to which is a readiness to obey authority without obey authority without question, no matter what question, no matter what outrageous acts the outrageous acts the authority commands.authority commands.

Milgram’s research into Milgram’s research into obedienceobedience

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

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

The participants met another man who was in his 50s.The participants met another man who was in his 50s. The experimenter ‘professor’ explains the experiment to The experimenter ‘professor’ explains the experiment to

both of them participants:both of them participants: ““It is about learning. Science does not know much about It is about learning. Science does not know much about

negative reinforcement on learning. Negative negative reinforcement on learning. Negative reinforcement is getting punished when you get something reinforcement is getting punished when you get something wrong. In this case, it will be an electric shock.”wrong. In this case, it will be an electric shock.”

Milgram’s Obedience Milgram’s Obedience researchresearch

Milgram’s experimental Milgram’s experimental designdesign The experimenter takes two pieces of paper and The experimenter takes two pieces of paper and

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

You and the man in his 50’s reach in to find out what You and the man in his 50’s reach in to find out what your role isyour role is

You 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 learner whilst you are The experimenter says to the learner whilst you are

standing next to him: “I want you to step right in standing next to him: “I want you to step right in here and take a seat, please…. Roll up your right here and take a seat, please…. Roll up your right sleeve, please. Now what I want you to do is strap sleeve, please. Now what I want you to do is strap down your arms to avoid excessive movement on down your arms to avoid excessive movement on your part during the experiment. This electrode is your part during the experiment. This electrode is connected to the shock generator in the next room.”connected to the shock 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 Once set up, the teacher is required to read out a list of words and their pairs. The teacher is then list of words and their pairs. The teacher is then told to read out words and the learner was told to told to read out words and the learner was told to provide the word pair. If the learner gave the provide the word pair. If the learner gave the wrong answer, the teacher would administer an wrong answer, the teacher would administer an electric shock. In this way the study was apparently electric shock. In this way the study was apparently investigating the effect of punishment on memory. investigating the effect 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. had to increase the strength of the electric shock. The experimenter sat in the room with the teacher The 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?

Answer the first three questions on Answer the first three questions on the worksheet provided before the worksheet provided before studying the full experiment?studying the full experiment?

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