obedience authority milgram
Overview
This lesson explores Stanley Milgram's groundbreaking research on obedience to authority, investigating the extent to which individuals will comply with instructions from an authority figure, even if those instructions involve harming another person. We will delve into the methodology, findings, and ethical implications of his famous experiments, and discuss the factors influencing obedience.
Milgram's Original Experiment (1963): Aim and Procedure
Milgram's research was prompted by a desire to understand the Holocaust and how ordinary people could commit such atrocities. His **aim** was to investigate the extent to which people would obey an authority figure, even when the commands involved harming another person. The **procedure** involved r...
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Key Concepts
- Obedience: A form of social influence where an individual acts in response to a direct order from an authority figure.
- Authority Figure: An individual perceived as having legitimate power or expertise to give commands.
- Agentic State: A mental state where an individual sees themselves as an agent carrying out another person's wishes, thereby feeling no personal responsibility for their actions.
- Autonomous State: A mental state where an individual feels responsible for their own actions and acts according to their own conscience.
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Exam Tips
- →When discussing Milgram's study, always refer to the 'teacher' and 'learner' roles, and the 'experimenter' to avoid confusion and demonstrate understanding of the setup.
- →Be prepared to evaluate Milgram's study critically, focusing on both its strengths (e.g., control, replicability, real-world applications) and, more importantly, its significant ethical weaknesses.
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