Yale University Experiment (May 1962)

Participants

• 40 male subjects
  • Ages: 20 to 50
  • Occupations: varied from corporation presidents to plumbers
  • Education: ranged from unfinished elementary to doctorate degrees
• Recruitment: via newspaper advert and direct mail solicitation

Experiment Setup

• Purpose: To explore the effects of punishment on learning
• Roles:
  • Teacher: administers shocks
  • Learner: receives shocks
• Procedure: Teachers are instructed to administer electric shocks for incorrect answers in a memory test
  • Shocks increase with each mistake

Instructions

• Subjects paid for participation
• Shocks described as painful but not dangerous
• Teachers are given a sample shock to experience the sensation
• Learners were actors, not actually receiving shocks

Observations

• Subjects exhibited tension and nervous laughter
  • 14 out of 40 showed signs of nervous laughter/smiling
• Many subjects defied authority despite repeated instructions to continue
• Behavioral study on obedience to authority

Results

• Many subjects administered shocks up to dangerous levels due to experimenter's insistence
• 50% of subjects obeyed orders fully, contrary to predictions that only a small percentage would

Key Findings

• Physical proximity of authority affects obedience
  • Obedience decreases as experimenter is physically removed
• Institutional context influences obedience
  • Obedience levels at Yale vs. a run-down office in Bridgeport
• Group dynamics play a significant role
  • Defiance increased when actors (confederates) defied authority

Implications

• Raises ethical questions about human obedience to authority
• Suggests potential for authority to elicit harmful actions from individuals

Conclusion

• Experiment demonstrates the power of authority in commanding obedience even against moral judgment
• Raises concerns about the extent to which people obey orders from perceived legitimate authorities