- Published: September 26, 2022
- Updated: September 26, 2022
- Level: Secondary School
- Language: English
- Downloads: 47
Milgram’s Experiment The primary objective of Milgrams experiment was to determine the extent that people cango while following orders. The experiment involved three individuals; an experimenter, a trainer and a learner. The experimenter gave the trainer orders to send electric shocks to the learner. The aim was to determine how much voltage a teacher was willing to send to the learner and also how much voltage would the teacher send to the learner with an assurance of immunity.
Milgram observed that people would go great extents to obey orders regardless of the fact that they were causing harm to other people. Results showed that all teachers reached 300 volts that were considered to be dangerous. Two-thirds of participants reached 450 volts that were considered to be severe. The results showed that people follow orders of authoritative people without considering the consequences of their actions. In fact, people are willing to inflict maximum damages if they are pressured by the authorities.
The findings are important in analyzing the actions of individual perpetrators of violence. The findings explain that a perpetrator of violence may not be acting out of self-will but through pressure or urge to satisfy the authorities. Moreover, the findings indicate that people fear the repercussions of their actions. However, they can go to extreme lengths if they are assured they will not be held responsible for their crimes.
Despite the theoretical success of the experiment, it did not protect human participants. The participants of the experiment endured great psychological torture. Despite the fact that learners were no participant was harmed, ordering people to torture others under orders may inflict stress and depression among participants.
Work cited
” Milgrams Obedience to Authority Experiment 2009 1/3.” YouTube. BBC TV, 15 May 2009. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.