Kudzanai 1

Kudzanai Mautsa

Professor Witte

Sociology 100

22 October 2023

Analysis on the on obedience by Milgrim

1.

The study on obedience was conducted by Stanley Milgram due to his curiosity on “The dangers of group
behavior and blind obedience to authority”. This study was mainly possible due to one experimenter,
different instructors and a learner. They recruited 40 males from the ages of 20 – 50 years old to perform
this experiment. This experiment was mainly based on the theory which suggested that “people learned
after getting punished for committing a mistake”. The experiment involved the learner to be in a room
with an electrode placed on his right arm on paste said to” provide good contact and avoid any blister or
burn” which was to be attached to one of their arms and that same electrode was connected to a shock
generator in the opposite room, in which the instructor is placed. The instructor in the next room was
given a paper with a list of questions and given the task of using the shock generator which had a series
of switches with voltages increasing from 15V up to extreme voltages above 300V which are dangerous
voltages.

The instructor was told by the experimenter that each time the learner gave a wrong response the
instructor should use the shock generator to shock generator to shock the learner starting from 15V and
increasing the voltage with each wrong answer. Although this experiment was rigged as the learner did
not really get administered the shocks, he was an actor, and he gave wrong responses which were
fabricated. When a shock was administered depending on the shock voltage, he saw on the board he
was given to see the voltage administered so he would give a pain response. At some point the learner
would say they had a heart problem or request the instructor to stop because it was too much for him.

2.

My hypothesis would be:

Despite the increased knowledge of ethical concerns and psychological elements, a specific proportion
of people would still comply with authoritative figures to administer shocks.

I think this is because taking into consideration the primary psychological systems of obedience and
conformity to authority play a great degree in the role in human behavior. Due to psychological
inheritance people would still try to use the same method as it may yield significant different results, due
to the evolution of human psychology.

3.

The dependent variable would be “the people who would comply under the command of an
authoritative figure to administer shocks.”
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The independent variables would be:

a) Ethical awareness
b) Psychological awareness
c) Modern framework

These variables are used to observe their effect on the dependent variable which is the people who
would comply under the command of an authoritative figure to administer shocks.

4.

Research method: controlled laboratory experiment.

The research method performed by Milgram has only one strength which is the experimenter is able to
control the independent variables to get the desired results with precision and consistency of the
participants. This also makes it possible for other researchers to compare their findings and enhances
the validity of the results. Although it has one weakness which is the ecological validity of the results.
This is because it is not based on natural conditions which happen in real world situations and people
might react differently if they knew that it was an experiment. An alternative would be field
experiments, but it would not be effective and lead to the invention of contradicting variables. Given the
concerns with Milgram’s experiment, finding an alternative which balances realism, control of variables
and ethical considerations might prove difficult.

5.

The study results were different with everyone as each situation met to the point of conflict due to the
authoritative control by the experimenter. These were the following results:

a) Some instructors would sadistically laugh as they heard the responses of the learner as
they increased the voltages.
b) Some individuals would start to try and refuse to keep going with experiments as an
instructor, as they questioned who would be responsible. Although once the experimenter
claimed to take responsibility the instructors would continue with the experiment.
c) Some of the instructors would keep doing the shocking as they felt a sense of
responsibility.
d) Some of the instructors the instructors would just stop as they felt emotionally broken.
e) About 65% of the instructors went over 300V.
6.

Milgram's study had implications on our understanding of the power levels within groups and the
influence of authority on behavior. The findings put emphasis on the concept of "bureaucracy" as
participants, despite personal discomfort, followed the prescribed roles and instructions provided by the
experimenter. The structure and level complexity of the experiment reflected in the bureaucratic
systems, revealing how individuals within such frameworks may perform actions that are against their
personal values due to obedience to authority. The study illustrates the potential for organizational
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structures being able to shape individual behavior of people, even when it involves actions that may be
morally questionable.

Additionally, the study gives great emphasis on the concept of "conformity" within groups. As instructors
conformed to the expectations set by the experimenter, illustrating the powerful impact of group
dynamics on individual behavior. The pressure to align with the group norm, as established by the
experimenter's instructions, led individuals to act in ways they might not have acted under different
conditions. This strongly emphasizes the role of social influence and the tendency for individuals to
conform to the perceived expectations of the group, even when those expectations involve harmful
actions. Overall, Milgram's study enriches our understanding of how authority and group dynamics can
exert a profound influence on individual behavior, contributing valuable insights to the field of sociology.

7.

This study was not ethical in many ways, as participants would be told to go home and forget about the
experiment, some of the participants would go for months thinking they killed someone without being
told the truth, some critics claim that in other cases some people were believed to have not be told the
truth of the experiment and were sent on their merry way. For example, psychologists like Gina Perry
argued that some of the participants were bullied or threatened into performing this experiment and
that Milgrim failed to tell the participants that the learner was an actor, and no shocks were delivered.
Considering these factors some of participants did administered shocks above 300V and when Milgrim
asked his students what percentage they think administered the high volts they guessed 3% but in truth
about 65% of the participants administered well over the highest shocks of voltage. The experiment was
helpful results wise, but it cannot be justified as okay experiments. It would be argued to be worth the
results but not the implications it had on participants. This i8s because with the results of the
experiment psychologists would be able to compare their own findings.
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Works Cited

“The Milgram Experiment - Shock Study on Obedience Conclusions.” YouTube, 10 Mar. 2021,
youtu.be/3YOox59J0Bk.

“Milgram Obedience Study.” YouTube, 26 Sept. 2010, youtu.be/W147ybOdgpE.