Stanley Milgram, 1961

The Dark Side of Obedience: Revisiting Milgram’s Groundbreaking Study

In 1961, psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted a series of experiments at Yale University that would forever change our understanding of human behavior. His aim was to investigate how far individuals would go in obeying an authority figure, even when the orders given conflicted with their personal conscience. Participants were instructed to administer electric shocks to a “learner” (an actor) whenever an incorrect answer was provided. Unbeknownst to the participants, the shocks were fake, but the emotional responses were real. 

The results were startling: 65% of participants continued to the maximum voltage of 450 volts, despite the apparent distress of the learner. Many showed signs of extreme tension, including sweating, trembling, and nervous laughter. Some even experienced uncontrollable seizures.  Milgram’s study revealed the powerful influence of authority on obedience, suggesting that ordinary people are capable of committing harmful acts when directed by an authority figure. This phenomenon, known as destructive obedience, has profound implications for understanding events in history, such as the atrocities committed during the Holocaust. 

While Milgram’s work has been criticized for ethical reasons, including deception and psychological stress inflicted on participants, it remains a cornerstone in social psychology. The study underscores the importance of ethical guidelines in research and continues to prompt discussions about the balance between scientific inquiry and participant welfare.  For students of Cambridge AS and A Level Psychology, Milgram’s experiment serves as a critical case study in understanding obedience, ethics in research, and the complexities of human behavior. It challenges us to reflect on our own susceptibility to authority and the moral decisions we face in everyday life