One of the most shocking findings in Milgram\'s obedience study was the number o
ID: 3457672 • Letter: O
Question
One of the most shocking findings in Milgram's obedience study was the number of participants who administered the highest shock, especially in comparison to what people thought they might do (many thought they would not do something like that, but their actions during the experiment proved otherwise). Do you think the situation the experiment mimics would change your own actions? Do you agree with Milgram's conclusion that it was authority, not necessarily personality, that influenced the participant's actions? Do you think this experiment can be generalized to explain behavior in other situations?Explanation / Answer
Ans.
Considering my personal opinion, the situation would have changed my own actions as well. This because in a situation which is novel and unknown to me (an experimental situation) my actions would be based upon some authority figure who I think is more familiar with the situation and can guide me with the know-how (do’s and don’ts) of how to deal with the situation. I would thus tend to obey the orders even though I do not stand by them.
Personally, I agree that Milgram’s conclusion was correct that it was authority, and not necessarily personality, that influenced the participants’ actions. Personality is a dynamic organization that makes individuals unique and different from one another. And in this experiment, the discussion being made is about majority behaviour. Thus it is unreasonable to attribute the actions of so many individuals to a particular personality factor. Rather, it is more appropriate to consider the external factor of ‘obedience to authority’ as a common and a constant factor that could have influenced the behaviour of the participants.
This experiment can of course be generalized to explain behaviour in other situations, especially those in which an individual is either unfamiliar with the situation, or is not in a position to make independent decisions. For example, there are instances in which the school prefect is given an order by the Principal to identify students who are breaking rules and to bring them to the school office. The prefect feels bound to obey the order knowing that those students, who might be his/her friends too, may be punished, suspended or expelled. This is an example of behaviour as influenced by obedience to authority.
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