Milgrams Obedience to Authority.docx

Milgrams Obedience to Authority.docx

《Milgrams Obedience to Authority.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Milgrams Obedience to Authority.docx（19页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

MilgramsObediencetoAuthority

ObediencetoAuthority

TheexperimentbyStanleyMilgram

StanleyMilgram,apsychologistatYaleUniversity,conductedastudyfocusingontheconflictbetweenobediencetoauthorityandpersonalconscience.HeexaminedjustificationsforactsofgenocideofferedbythoseaccusedattheWorldWarII,NurembergWarCrimestrials.Theirdefenceoftenwasbasedon"obedience"--thattheywerejustobeyingorderswhilstundertheauthorityoftheirsuperiors.

TheexperimentbeganinJuly1961,ayearafterthetrialofAdolfEichmanninJerusalem.Milgramdevisedtheexperimenttoanswerthequestion"CoulditbethatEichmann,andhismillionaccomplicesintheHolocaustwerejustfollowingorders?

Couldwecallthemallaccomplices?

"

TheresultsofthestudyweremadeknowninMilgram'sObediencetoAuthority:

AnExperimentalView（1974）.

So-called"teachers"（whowereactuallytheunknowingsubjectsoftheexperiment）wererecruitedbyMilgraminresponsetoanewspaperadoffering$4.50foronehour'swork.IndividualsubjectsthusrecruitedturneduptotakepartinaPsychologyexperimentinvestigatingmemoryandlearningatLinsly-ChittendenHallonYaleUniversity'soldcampus.Heorshewasintroducedtoasternlookingexperimenterinawhitecoatandtoaratherpleasantandfriendlyco-subjectwhowasalsopresumablyrecruitedviathenewspaperad.Theexperimenterexplainedthatonesubjectwouldbeassignedtheroleof"teacher"andtheotherwouldbeassignedtheroleof"learner."

Twoslipsofpapermarked"teacher"werehandedtothesubjectandtotheco-subject.Theco-subjectwasactuallyanactorwho,inposingasasubjecttotheexperiment,subsequentlyclaimedthathisslipsaid"learner"suchthattheunknowingsubjectwasinevitablyledtobelievethathisroleas"teacher"hadbeenchosenrandomly.

Bothlearnerandteacherwerethengivenasample45-voltelectricshockfromanapparatusattachedtoachairintowhichthe"actor-learner"wastobestrapped.Thefictitiousstorygiventothe"teachers"wasthattheexperimentwasintendedtoexploretheeffectsofpunishmentforincorrectresponsesonlearningbehavior.

Asuccessionofunknowingsubjectsintheirrolesasteacherweregivensimplememorytasksintheformofreadinglistsoftwowordpairsandaskingthe"learner"toreadthembackandwereinstructedtoadministerashockbypressingabuttoneachtimethelearnermadeamistake.Itwasunderstoodthattheelectricshocksweretobeofincreasedby15voltsinintensityforeachmistakethe"learner"madeduringtheexperiment.

Theshockgeneratorthatthe"teacher"wastoldtooperatehad30switchesin15voltincrements,eachswitchwaslabeledwithavoltagerangingfrom15upto450volts.Eachswitchalsohadarating,rangingfrom"slightshock"to"danger:

severeshock".Thefinaltwoswitchesbeinglabeled"XXX".Theexperimentwasconductedinascenariowherethe"learner"wasinanotherroombutthe"teacher"wasmadeawareofthe"actor-learner's"discomfortbypoundingsonthewall.

Nofurthershockswereactuallydelivered-the"teacher"wasnotawarethatthe"learner"inthestudywasactuallyanactorwhowasintended,bytherequirementsoftheexperiment,tousehistalentstoindicateincreasinglevelsofdiscomfortasthe"teacher"administeredincreasinglysevereelectricshocksinresponsetothemistakesmadebythe"learner".

Theexperimenterwaspresentinthesameroomasthe"teacher"andwhenever"teachers"askedwhetherincreasedshocksshouldbegivenheorshewasverballyencouragedbytheexperimentertocontinue.Inthisscenario65%ofthe"teachers"obeyedorderstopunishthelearnertotheveryendofthe450-voltscale!

Nosubjectstoppedbeforereaching300volts!

Attimes,theworried"teachers"questionedtheexperimenter,askingwhowasresponsibleforanyharmfuleffectsresultingfromshockingthelearneratsuchahighlevel.Uponreceivingtheanswerthattheexperimenterassumedfullresponsibility,teachersseemedtoaccepttheresponseandcontinueshocking,eventhoughsomewereobviouslyextremelyuncomfortableindoingso.

Inanarticleentitled"ThePerilsofObedience"（1974）StanleyMilgramwrote:

-

"Beforetheexperiments,Isoughtpredictionsabouttheoutcomefromvariouskindsofpeople--psychiatrists,collegesophomores,middle-classadults,graduatestudentsandfacultyinthebehavioralsciences.Withremarkablesimilarity,theypredictedthatvirtuallyallthesubjectswouldrefusetoobeytheexperimenter.Thepsychiatrist,specifically,predictedthatmostsubjectswouldnotgobeyond150volts,whenthevictimmakeshisfirstexplicitdemandtobefreed.Theyexpectedthatonly4percentwouldreach300volts,andthatonlyapathologicalfringeofaboutoneinathousandwouldadministerthehighestshockontheboard".

TheObediencetoAuthorityexperimentwascontinuedbyMilgramoveranumberofotherscenariossuchaswherethe"learner"couldindicatediscomfortbywayofvoicefeedback-at"150volts",the"actor-learner"requestedthattheexperimentend,andwasconsistentlytoldbytheexperimenterthat-"Theexperimentrequiresthatyoucontinue.Pleasegoon."orsimilarwords.Inthisscenarionthepercentageofsubjectswhowerepreparedtoadministerthemaximum450voltsdroppedslightlyto62.5%

WheretheexperimentwasconductedinanondescriptofficebuildingratherthanwithinthewallsofaprestigiouslyornatehallonYale'soldcampusthepercentageofsubjectswhowerepreparedtoadministerthemaximumvoltagedroppedto47.5%.

Wherethe"teacher"hadtophysicallyplacethe"learner's"handona"shockplate"inordertogivehimshocksabove150voltsthepercentageofsubjectswhowerepreparedtoadministerthemaximumvoltagedroppedto30.0%andwherethe"experimenter"wasatendofaphonelineratherthanbeinginthesameroomthepercentageofsubjectswhowerepreparedtoadminister450voltsdroppedto20.5%andwherethe"teacher"couldhimselfnominatetheshocklevelthepercentageofsubjectswhowerepreparedtocontinuetotheendofthescaledroppedto2.5%

Milgramsummeduphisfindingsinrelationtothemainexperimentin"ThePerilsofObedience"（1974）:

-

"Thelegalandphilosophicaspectsofobedienceareofenormousimport,buttheysayverylittleabouthowmostpeoplebehaveinconcretesituations.IsetupasimpleexperimentatYaleUniversitytotesthowmuchpainanordinarycitizenwouldinflictonanotherpersonsimplybecausehewasorderedtobyanexperimentalscientist.Starkauthoritywaspittedagainstthesubjects'strongestmoralimperativesagainsthurtingothers,and,withthesubjects'earsringingwiththescreamsofthevictims,authoritywonmoreoftenthannot.Theextremewillingnessofadultstogotoalmostanylengthsonthecommandofanauthorityconstitutesthechieffindingofthestudyandthefactmosturgentlydemandingexplanation."

Theexperimenthasbeenrepeatedbyotherpsychologistsaroundtheworldwithsimilarresults.Variationshavebeenperformedtotestforvariablesintheexperimentalsetup.Forexample,subjectsaremuchmorelikelytobeobedientwhentheexperimenterisphysicallypresentthanwhentheinstructionsaregivenovertelephone.

ThePerilsofObedience

byStanleyMilgram-1974

Obedienceisasbasicanelementinthestructureofsociallifeasonecanpointto.Somesystemofauthorityisarequirementofallcommunalliving,anditisonlythepersondwellinginisolationwhoisnotforcedtorespond,withdefianceorsubmission,tothecommandsofothers.Formanypeople,obedienceisadeeplyingrainedbehaviortendency,indeedapotentimpulseoverridingtraininginethics,sympathy,andmoralconduct.

Thedilemmainherentinsubmissiontoauthorityisancient,asoldasthestoryofAbraham,andthequestionofwhetheroneshouldobeywhencommandsconflictwithconsciencehasbeenarguedbyPlato,dramatizedinAntigone,andtreatedtophilosophicanalysisinalmosteveryhistoricalepoch.Conservativephilosophersarguethattheveryfabricofsocietyisthreatenedbydisobedience,whilehumanistsstresstheprimacyoftheindividualconscience.

Thelegalandphilosophicaspectsofobedienceareofenormousimport,buttheysayverylittleabouthowmostpeoplebehaveinconcretesituations.IsetupasimpleexperimentatYaleUniversitytotesthowmuchpainanordinarycitizenwouldinflictonanotherpersonsimplybecausehewasorderedtobyanexperimentalscientist.Starkauthoritywaspittedagainstthesubjects'strongestmoralimperativesagainsthurtingothers,and,withthesubjects'earsringingwiththescreamsofthevictims,authoritywonmoreoftenthannot.Theextremewillingnessofadultstogotoalmostanylengthsonthecommandofanauthorityconstitutesthechieffindingofthestudyandthefactmosturgentlydemandingexplanation.

Intilebasicexperimentaldesignstwopeoplecometoapsychologylaboratorytotakepartinastudyofmemoryandlearning.Oneofthemisdesignated"a"teacher"andtheothera"learner."Theexperimenterexplainsthatthestudyisconcernedwiththeeffectsofpunishmentonlearning.Thelearnerisconductedintoaroom,seatedinakindofminiatureelectricchair,hisarmsarestrappedtopreventexcessivemovement,andanelectrodeisattachedtohiswrist.Heistoldthathewillbereadlistsofsimplewordpairs,andthathewillthenbetestedonhisabilitytorememberthesecondwordofapairwhenhehearsthefirstoneagain.wheneverhemakesanerror,hewillreceiveelectricshocksofincreasingintensity.

Therealfocusoftheexperimentistheteacher.Afterwatchingthelearnerbeingstrappedi