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How far will you go in obeying an authority figure, even if it means causing harm to others? What could influence you to obey - the physical proximity of the authority figure or the victim? Can you resist the orders from an authority figure and refuse to comply even if you are in a situation that appears to demand your obedience?
How do you rationalize your actions when you engage in harmful behavior against others, especially when you are following orders from an authority figure?
Most people do not consider themselves capable of causing harm to others. They are unable to see the shadow that exists in their lives - the Jungian shadow or the biblical snake in the Garden of Eden on the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
It is these thoughts that drive social and behavioral scientists down this path to experiments with the intention to find out just how evil we are. Just like the Stanford Experiment done years later, the Milgram Experiment had a similar goal: who do humans turn into such savages in the time of war? What did it take for those that carried out the atrocities that characterized history's atrocities and led to the death of millions of people?
Can you hurt a fly? How would you know if you would be able to?
These questions were on the mind of Stanley Milgram, born August 15, 1933, and grew up in the Bronx. In his early childhood days, Milgram was very interested in science. He went to James Monroe High School, where he was highly involved in many extracurricular activities which included debate and school journalism.
When he graduated from high school, he attended Queens College and studied political science and psychology. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1954 and went for graduate study in social psychology at Harvard, earning his Ph.D. in 1960.
As a student at Harvard, he was fascinated by the works of Solomon Asch and other psychologists at the time who were interested in the power of conformity and obedience in human behavior. Some have stated that the fact he was from a Jewish family also contributed to this fascination because of the holocaust.
The Eligibility Criteria
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For this experiment, first done in 1960, the participants were all male, and this was included in the eligibility criteria that was put out in newspapers and advertisements.
There were financial incentives for the experiment. The experiment was stated as a memory and learning study, and the participants were supposed to be fluent in English as the instructions and tasks were presented in English. The participants were supposed to be physically and mentally healthy with no history of heart problems or medical problems that would be worsened by stress.
Participants were not screened for their level of obedience or conformity, but the study was designed to test the limits of these behaviors. The eligibility criteria were therefore fairly general, as the researchers wanted to avoid biasing the sample in any way that might affect the results.
The Study Method
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The experiment was a laboratory-based study used to investigate obedience to authority. The participants were told they were taking part in a memory and learning experiment.
The participants were given the role of "teacher," and the actors were given the role of "student" or "learner." The teachers and learners were kept in different rooms and did not see each other.
The teachers were asked to administer an electric shock to the learners every time they made a mistake on a memory test. The shocks were administered through a machine that had switches labeled with different voltage levels, ranging from 15 to 450 (potentially lethal).
The experimenter, who was a significant authority figure in this experiment, wore lab coats and told the teachers to give the shock even while the learners showed increasing levels of pain and protested that they had a heart condition. The learners were actors and were not receiving any shocks.
The study method used a variation of group factors to see the different factors that would lead to obedience, like proximity of the teacher to the learner, the authority of the experimenter, and later on, the gender of the teacher.
The Study Design
The basic study design involved three participants: the experimenter, the teacher, and the learner. The teacher was a participant, while the learner was actually an actor who was in on the experiment and was pretending to be a participant.
The teachers and the learners were seated in different rooms, and the teachers were told to give electric shocks to the learners every time they made an error on a learning task. With every error made, the shocks increased in intensity.
The Results
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Milgram found that many of the participants obeyed the experimenter’s orders to deliver shocks to the learner even when the shocks became extremely painful and potentially dangerous. The participants continued to follow the orders even when the learners protested and demanded they be released from the experiment.
The level of obedience differed based on the proximity of the participants to the learner or the presence of the other participants who refused to obey the experimenters.
Those who ended up obeying the experimenter faced psychological distress and conflict, which goes to show that following these instructions came at a high personal cost.
Overall, Milgram's findings demonstrated the powerful influence of authority and social pressure on human behavior. The study showed that individuals are capable of behaving in ways that conflict with their personal values and morals when they are placed in situations that involve strong social pressures to conform or obey.
The experiment also raised ethical concerns about the use of deception in psychological research and the potential harm that can result from participation in such studies.
Can You Hurt a Fly?
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The Milgram experiment just goes to show the behaviors that one should be cautious of as it relates to taking orders blindly from those we consider as authority figures, especially when it involves harming others.
You should be cautious of following authority figures blindly without questioning their morals. This goes into groupthink and the social implications of following these leaders. Know the situations that would lead you to be influenced by such authority figures and avoid them.
These situations can come up at work and at home. Any time a situation calls on you to inflict harm on others, you should be very cautious. Ask yourself, “What validates these instructions?”
Be careful of the legitimacy of the situation you are in and always find out the motives of those who you see as leaders. Make an informed decision based on the evidence and information you have available to you.
You want to be responsible for your actions, especially in conditions where they may be harmful to others.
Do you struggle with taking responsibility for the decisions you make in your life?
You can send me a message on WhatsApp at +2348134530293, and we can have a conversation, or you can speak with a licensed therapist.
Conclusion
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In conclusion, the Milgram experiment was a powerful demonstration of the influence of authority and social pressure on human behavior. The study showed that individuals are capable of behaving in ways that conflict with their personal values and morals when they are placed in situations that involve strong social pressures to conform or obey.
Milgram's findings raised ethical concerns about the use of deception in psychological research and the potential harm that can result from participation in such studies. However, the experiment also had significant implications for our understanding of obedience and conformity in everyday life and the potential dangers of blindly following authority.
It is essential to recognize the influence that authority figures can have on our behavior and to resist the temptation to blindly follow their orders, especially when it involves harming others. By understanding the powerful role of social pressure and authority in our lives, we can make more informed decisions and take steps to ensure that we are acting in line with our personal values and morals. Ultimately, the Milgram experiment provides a cautionary tale and a reminder that we must remain vigilant in our efforts to act ethically and responsibly, even in the face of powerful social pressures.
Have you ever heard of the Milgram experiment? What do you know about it? What do you think about the idea of obedience to authority? Do you believe that people are generally willing to follow orders from those in positions of power?
Do you think you would be able to resist orders from an authority figure, even if it meant causing harm to someone else? What would influence your decision in such a situation? What do you think are the ethical concerns related to the Milgram experiment, particularly with regard to the use of deception and potential harm to participants?
In your opinion, what can we learn from the Milgram experiment about human behavior and the influence of authority and social pressure on our actions?