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Stanley Milgram Experiment Essay

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1) Stanley Milgram was one of the most influential social psychologists of his time, he was particularly fascinated by the dangers of group behavior and blind obedience to authority. His experiment became controversial, the results of the experiment were deeply revealing about the tensions between the individual and society. In 1962, Stanley Milgram impressed the world with his study on obedience. His theory was tested by an invention with a method that would become a window into human cruelty within. The purpose of the experiment was to understand the inconceivable, as the Germans might allow the extermination of the Jews. Stanley could not believe how decent people involved so cruelly without limitations of conscience to follow the orders …show more content…

A teacher and a student were elected, they were separated one in each room. The teacher had to teach words to the student, when the student made a mistake the teacher would punish by a discharge of 15 volts. The student was an accomplice of the experiment, never received electric shocks. Whenever the teacher sent the electric charge a recorded audio was activated making noises imitating pain. When the teacher heard these noises they would get scared and wanted to quit, they didn’t wanted to continue but Milgram would tell them that they should continue to follow the experiment and that they could not stop, they had no choice. The result of this experiment was that 40 persons obeyed to 300 volts and 25 reached the maximum discharge was 450 volts. The conclusion was very different from what Milgram thought, as he thought that about between 1% and 3% were the ones he believed were going to continue to perform the electric charges, he believed you had to be a psychopath to do so. However 65% were people who continued, Stanley said that this had to do with our almost innate behavior and that people most of the time do what they are told, especially if it comes from people in

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