SOAN 2120 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Stanley Milgram, Milgram Experiment

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology and Anthropology
• Course: SOAN 2120
• Professor: D Walters

Document Summary

Study conducted to try and differentiate what it takes to be a learner and teacher. Stanley milgram studied obedience in psychology in 1963. Focuses on conflict between obedience to authority and personal conscience. Wanted to investigate whether germans were obedient to authority figures. Would ask people questions and tell them if they were wrong, they"ll be shocked (unethical), however they were not. Participant was paired with another person, and drew lots to see who was the. Draw was fixed so the participant was always the teacher and learner was always one of milgram"s confederates (pretending to be a participant) Aim: to see how far people go in obeying instructions if it involves hurting someone else. Was interested in how easily ordinary people could be influenced into committing atrocities for example, germans in wwii. Results: 65% of participants continued to highest level of shock (450 volts) and the rest continued to 300 volts.