Lecture on Stanley Milgram's Experiment

Background and Purpose

• Key Question: Can ordinary people commit terrible acts when ordered?
• Focus: Strong electric shock administered to an innocent person when following orders.
• Historical Context: Inspired by the compliance of ordinary citizens in Nazi Germany.
• Stanley Milgram: Psychologist who aimed to understand human behavior and compliance.

The Milgram Experiment

• Design:
  • Three key roles:
    • Experimenter: Authority figure dressed in a lab coat.
    • Teacher: The volunteer and actual test subject.
    • Student: Actor pretending to be a participant.
  • Setup:
    • Teacher and experimenter in one room, student in another.
    • Teacher asked to administer electric shocks for wrong answers.
    • Shocks increased from 15 volts to a maximum of 450 volts.
• Procedure:
  • Teachers received a sample shock.
  • Teachers read questions; students responded via button.
  • Shocks were fake—responses were pre-recorded.
  • Teachers pushed to continue with four increasing prompts when hesitant.

Predictions and Outcomes

• Initial Predictions: Expected few would comply with maximum shocks.
• Actual Results:
  • 100% administered at least 300 volts.
  • 65% continued to the maximum of 450 volts.

Ethical Concerns and Replication

• Criticism: Deemed unethical due to deception of participants.
• Replication: Experiment replicated with similar results across different populations.

Reflections and Societal Implications

• Milgram's Reflection: Awareness of societal control may lead to liberation.
• Provocative Questions:
  • Would you follow or question authority?
  • How can societies educate future generations to question authority and prevent atrocities?

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