Milgram Experiment

A psychologist best known for the Milgram Experiment. He was interested in the idea of authority and obedience.

It was in response to the Nazi trials. Many people told the courts that they were not guilty because they were 'following orders'. Many people say that they would never hurt anyone if they didn't have to. Milgram wanted to make an experiment that would test these so-called morals of American society.

An experiment that Stanley Milgram designed to see what people would do when forced between obeying authority and listening to their conscience and morals.

Experimenter, teacher and learner.

An experimenter would sit at a desk at the back of the room, the teacher would sit at a desk with a shock generator on it, which he believed was connected to the learner who was situated in another room.

They were told that the experiment was about the effects of punishment of learning.

They were instructed by the experimenter to read word pairs out to the L through a speaker. Then they would say the first word out of the pair followed by four words, one of which is the correct word. The L then has to choose which one is the right word. If the L gets it wrong, the T has to administer a shock, which increases every time.

From 14 to 450 volts.

After the shocks reach 70 volts, the L grunts, after 150 volts, he demands to be released from the experiment. The experimenter then tells the teacher that 'the experiment must continue'. The teacher has to decide between obeying the obvious authority of the experimenter or listening to his conscience that he is hurting the learner.

That most would not go past 150 volts. They expected that only 4% would reach 300 volts. They thought that someone would only go all the way to the end if they were a pathological figure of 1 in 1000. ;

The same. Milgram even tested different ages, genders, jobs and statuses (rich / poor).

NOOOOO! Out of 40, 25 went all the way to the end. This was about 60% that fully obeyed the experimenters authority.

One of the subjects that went all the way. However, while he was administering the shocks, he was pleading with the experimenter to check in on the learner and make sure he was okay. Even after the experimenter didn't do so, he continued. He even started to get annoyed at the learner!

Most people didn't go all the way, until they were assured that they were not going to be held responsible for anything that happened to the learner.

Gretchen Brandt. She went until 210 volts and then told the experimenter that she couldn't continue. After telling her that she must, Brandt talks of free will and how she did not want to be responsible for anything that happened to him. The experiment was terminated.

People would giggle, because they were nervous.

The average shock was less than 60 volts. 3 out of 40 stayed on the lowest level the entire time, 28 no higher than 75 volts, and 38 did not go beyond 150. However 2 subjects did go up to 325 and 450 volts!