Milgram’s Obedience Study Experiment

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Milgram’s Obedience Study Experiment

Obedience is a fundamental component of the structure of social life. Moreover, it is considered as the essential prerequisite of all mutual living. According to some philosophers, the society is typically endangered by disobedience, while some humanists pressure the significance of an individual’s morality. One of the most popular researches of obedience in psychology was conducted by Stanley Milgram who is a Yale University psychologist. What Milgram did was performing an experiment which centered on the battle amid obedience to authority as well as the individual conscience. His study as described in “The Perils of Obedience” recommended that while under a distinct set of situations the obedience which individuals naturally display, can change them into representatives of horror or monsters towards mortality.

Milgram’s study is also standard for both its results plus the means used of obtaining them (Milgram and Stanley, p.371). In his research, some ethical issues were raised which have some significance in the contemporary psychological study practice, and regarding the method, the study applied. Thus rendering to Milgram’s study, individuals should comprehend that though society values such ethics as freedom plus individualism, it is habitually tricky for individuals to live up to their principles in the aspect of group pressures. Further, this paper examines and analyzes Milgram’s experiment whereby it criticizes the analysis conducted due to the numerous reasons which are in the below discussion.

Milgram, therefore, decided to examine and evaluate how the individuals would respond towards a condition which they were obliged to obey even after understanding that an individual would be hurt. From the study conducted it is evident that the aim of the outcome of this study was that individuals like to entertain authority (Griggs et al., p.318). In general, individuals like the feeling which they get when performing a decent activity. Even though they tend to realize what they are doing is morally wrong.

In the preparation of conducting the study of Obedience Experiments Milgram designated some forty male volunteers who had previously responded to the advert for the individuals who were willing to take part in a Study of Memory. The forty individuals who were picked were designated to vary in age, educational achievement as well as the occupation to provide a complete sample which in one way or another was demonstrative of the general populace. Lastly, the individual subjects who had been selected to take part in the study showed up to participate in a Psychology research investigating memory as well as learning at a Hall in the Yale University’s old campus. After that, the experiment was carried out which mainly involved one subjected being assigned the part of a “teacher” and the other the part of a “learner.” Both of them were provided with a model of 45-volt electrical shock from a device attached to a chain whereby the “learner” was supposed to be strapped (Haslam et al., p.67). The fictional story which the “teacher” was given was that the experimentation was envisioned to analyze the effects of punishment for improper reactions towards behavior learning.

The “learner” articulated some form of anxiety and thus interrogated if the shock used would lead to any effect on their heart state. They were accordingly informed not to worry by Milgram, but the learner was not told whether the shocks could be hurting. During the experiment, they were in different rooms, and thus they communicated using the intercom. The research was conducted, and afterward, the participants were examined and later they were informed that the shock apparatus which they were using was not factual. On learning, this majority of them expressed emotional upset as they thought that during the experiment they were exacting a lot of pain towards the opponent and that the high voltage shocks which they were using had the capability of killing someone. Due to this reason, Milgram was criticized as being impervious to his subjects who in this matter were the participants in the experiment.

However, as the study suggests it is vital to say that Milgram sample was biased as the experiments drawbacks seem to outweigh the benefits involved. To begin with, from the study, it is evident that all the participants of Milgram’s experiment were all male. This depicts gender disparity as it is not explained whether these results transfer to females. Another form of bias expressed in the Milgram’s experiment is that his study cannot be regarded as the characteristic of the American populace because his model was self-selected (Milgram et al., p.114). The explanation to this is that they only became partakers of the experiment by choosing to react to a newspaper advert. There were proper techniques used in coming up with the subjects to take part in the research.

Another critic on the Milgram experiment is that after the study, the participants were stressed and as a result, many have been negatively affected. The research in some form involved playing with the human minds which is not a good aspect as in most cases it is characterized by emotional as well as psychological problems. This can be considered as the biggest issue in this experiment according to how the participants were treated throughout and after the experiment. The subjects were forced to “kill “each other by subjecting them to harsh and painful conditions which were not real. This aspect can result in emotional problems like anger and bitterness and also psychological problems like depression in the individuals’ involved (Haslam et al., p.73). Another flaw exhibited by Milgram experiment is some questions which arise from this study like; how can the leap be made from an individual sitting in a room for some hours flipping a switch or the behavior of soldiers at Mylai? Also, how can two hours in a laboratory in Yale relate to a soldier’s situation plus behavior who has spent numerous years in combat? Therefore the closer one examines at this experiment, the more questionable Milgram’s assumptions become.

However, the experiment exhibited some potentials and advantages in individuals’ daily lives. For example, the study of practical applications increases the individuals understanding of obedience to authority as they tend to follow what the authority asks them to do whether bad or good. Further, Milgram’s experiment outcomes have been simulated in a diversity of cultures whereby in most cases higher compliance rates are experienced.

This study of Milgram experiment highlights ethical issues which are relevant in contemporary times. Possibly Milgram could have tried his concepts on obedience deprived of instigating distress to the participants. Therefore as it is depicted above, his experiment activates the issue of deception whereby deception happens when subjects are not clearly plus being well informed regarding the nature of research. His conduct was not in line with the modern ethical guidelines which outlines that that participant ought not to be deceived, and they need to advise about any potential consequence (Cherry and Kendra, p.23). Therefore it may be contended that Milgram’s experiment influenced the manner in which Psychologists perform their modern research as it reformed research ethics besides the design, whereas contributing significantly to theory in psychology.

In conclusion, as depicted in the above discussion, Milgram’s study on obedience has been characterized by many effects mainly due to the manner in which the experiment was conducted. However what can be learned from this study and experimentation is that it is vibrant that an inordinate deal can be cultured from the previous experiment. Milgram’s experiment educated the ground of social psychology regarding the concepts on obedience as well as authority. Moreover, this research is relevant to the present day psychology in various aspects as it has led to the redevelopment of psychology guidelines regarding the treatment of research patients

Works Cited

Cherry, Kendra. “The milgram obedience experiment the perils of obedience.” (2014).

Griggs, Richard A., and George I. Whitehead III. “Coverage of Milgram’s obedience experiments in social psychology textbooks: Where have all the criticisms gone?.” Teaching of Psychology 42.4 (2015): 315-322.

Haslam, S. Alexander, et al. “‘Happy to have been of service’: The Yale archive as a window into the engaged followership of participants in Milgram’s ‘obedience’experiments.” British Journal of Social Psychology 54.1 (2015): 55-83.

Milgram, Stanley, and Christian Gudehus. “Obedience to authority.” (1978).

Milgram, Stanley. “Behavioral study of obedience.” The Journal of abnormal and social psychology 67.4 (1963): 371.