Stanley Milgram's Perils Of Obedience

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In the controversial Stanford Prisoner and Guard Experiment of 1971, ordinary people fell into sadistic, unrelenting roles with no more pressure other than merely being given the role and following orders. This is not an uncommon result for many experiments surrounding the concept of obedience. Similar results can be found in Stanley Milgram’s Perils of Obedience experiment of 1963, in which people across cultures and demographics all willing delivered what they believed to be a lethal electric shock to another subject, merely because an authority figure commanded them to. Experiments such as these are common all with varied forms of disturbing conclusions. Over the years, with many different demographics this experiments have proven the hardened…show more content…
Teachers were asked to repeat a sequence to the Learner who was now hidden out of sight. The Learner was then to continue the next part of the sequence correctly. If they answered incorrectly the Teacher was asked to deliver an electric shock. These shocks were to continuously grow stronger as the Learner failed to answer questions correctly. The shocks ranged from 15 - 450 volts, Unbeknownst to those under the role of Teacher, all of the Learners were actors. At 75 volts the Learner was asked to grunt; at 120 volts, to complain loudly; at 150 volts the Learner was to demand loudy to be released from the experiment. As the experiment was to continue the actor was to become more emotional, and urgent about his request for immediate release. At 285 volts the Learner/actor was to give a loud agonized scream, and from that point on, no noise at all. It was predicted by many psychologists, psychiatrists, college students, and normal adults that the majority of participants would refuse to continue the experiment at the first sign of uncomfort by the Learner, however everyone was shocked by the real results. Of the forty subjects tested, twenty-five of them carried the experiment out all the way to the end; not ending until the 450 volts had been administered three times. Many of the participants while obedient until the end were tense, and showed signs of extreme fatigue and uncomfort after the experiment was called to an end. When the experiment was first carried out with Yale University students approximately 60% of the subjects were obedient to the end. When the experiment was recreated across cultures, and groups results remained the same. In some cases the percentage of those obedient jumped as high as 85%. Despite their own uncomfort, agitation and fear for the Learners
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