Stanley Milgram · 1961
Milgram Obedience Experiment
"I was just following orders." Can normal people torture others? 65% administered "fatal" shocks.
Methodology
Ad:
"Memory study, $4 pay"
Setup:
• Subject always "Teacher"
• Actor is "Learner" (strapped in chair)
• Shock generator: 15V to 450V ("XXX High Voltage")
Task:
• Shock for wrong answers, increase 15V each time
• 150V: Learner yells
• 330V: Silence
• Experimenter: "Please continue."
Findings
Numbers:
• Went to 450V: 65%
• Stopped before 300V: 0%
Reactions:
• Sweating, trembling, nervous laughter
• "I can't go on" but continued
Variations:
• Learner in same room: 40%
• Touch hand to shock plate: 30%
Significance
Context:
• Post-Eichmann trial ("Banality of Evil")
• Explained Holocaust mechanisms
2009 Replication:
• Still 70% went past 150V
• Human nature hasn't changed much