Evaluate The Milgram Experiment

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The video provided demonstrated a test first conducted in 1961 by Stanley Milgram, a Yale University psychologist. Milgram was curious to know if the Nazis that had tortured the Jews during World War II were murderers or just simply following orders. The premise of the experiment is to have one actor and one bystander undergo an activity in which the bystander asks questions that the actor must answer. The actor will answer the questions from another room accordingly. If his answers are wrong, the bystander must administer an electrical shock that increases in intensity per each question missed. Eventually, the bystander will be asked to shock the actor at lethal levels. But, what the bystander doesn't know is that the actor is completely unharmed…show more content…
I felt that the experiment is very accurate at representing people's tendencies to conform and do what a figure of authority tells them to do, regardless if it is morally sound or not. This can be seen in multiple environments and places, even if the circumstances aren’t as extreme as the Milgram experiment. For example, say your friends tell you to pick on an animal and do cruel things to it, but they promise you that no harm will be done to the animal – they are meant to endure harsh conditions - you would most likely not want to do so. But, there exists the chance that your friends will ridicule you or negatively impact you in some way, so you choose to take part in the activity without wanting to go against a higher form of power than you possess. 78 Year-Old Man Left to Suffer This video shows an elderly man attempting to cross the street, when two cars illegally pass a double line, striking the man and sending him flying. The man can be seen lying on the ground, screaming for help – to no avail, as every bystander just continues on, as if the man doesn’t even exist. What I saw in the video left a large impression on my mind, of which being that people do not
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