With numbing regularity good people were seen to knuckle under the demands of authority and perform actions that were callous and severe. Men who are in everyday life responsible and decent were seduced by the trappings of authority, by the control of their perceptions, and by the uncritical acceptance of the experimenter's definition of the situation, into performing harsh acts. ...A substantial proportion of people do what they are told to do, irrespective of the content of the act and without limitations of conscience, so long as they perceive that the command comes from a legitimate authority.
--Stanley Milgram (1965)
Those of you not studying Psyschology or old enough to remember Stanley Milgram may wonder how so many people in Iraq became the willing and sadistic servants of Saddam Husseins regime.
In the 1960's Psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted what is now considered a seminal set of experiments on human obedience.
The experiments were conducted on volunteers to show how virtually anybody could be obedient, to the point of violating their personal values, when a figure in authority required that they be that way. As he himself mentions above, it was a remarkable demonstation of how otherwise mild mannered people could become authoritarian and sadistic if they believed they were following orders.
"I observed a mature and initially poised businessman enter the laboratory smiling and confident. Within 20 minutes he was reduced to a twitching, stuttering wreck, who was rapidy approaching nervous collapse. He constantly pulled on his ear lobe, and twisted his hands. At one point he pushed his fist into his forehead and muttered 'Oh God, lets stop it'. And yet he continued to respond to every word of the experimenter, and obeyed to the end."
In response to a newspaper ad offering $4.50 for one hour's work, an individual turns up to take part in a Psychology experiment investigating memory and learning. He is introduced to a stern looking experimenter in a white coat and a rather pleasant and friendly co-subject. The experimenter
explains that the experiment will look into the role of punishment in learning, and that one will be the "teacher" and one will be the "learner." Lots are drawn to determine roles, and it is decided that the individual who answered the ad will become the "teacher."
Your co-subject is taken to a room where he is strapped in a chair to prevent movement and an electrode is placed on his arm. Next, the "teacher" is taken to an adjoining room which contains a generator. The "teacher" is instructed to read a list of two word pairs and ask the "learner" to read them back. If the "learner" gets the answer correct, then they move on to the next word. If the answer is incorrect, the "teacher" is supposed to shock the "learner" starting at 15 volts.
The generator has 30 switches in 15 volt increments, each is labeled with a voltage ranging from 15 up to 450 volts. Each switch also has a rating, ranging from "slight shock" to "danger: severe shock". The final two switches are labeled "XXX". The "teacher" automatically is supposed to increase the
shock each time the "learner" misses a word in the list. Although the "teacher" thought that he/she was administering shocks to the "learner", the "learner" is actually a student or an actor who is never actually harmed. (The drawing of lots was rigged, so that the actor would always
end up as the "learner.")
At times, the worried "teachers" questioned the experimenter, asking who was responsible for any harmful effects resulting from shocking the learner at such a high level. Upon receiving the answer that the experimenter assumed full responsibility, teachers seemed to accept the response and
continue shocking, even though some were obviously extremely uncomfortable in doing so.
...Ultimately 65% of all the "teachers" punished the "learners" to the maximum 450 volts. No subject stopped before reaching 150 volts, and almost all carried on to 300 volts. [1]
I recall watching footage of these experiments at school many years ago, the images have stuck with me ever since. As a final thought, and before you think that you would never do this: It was predicted beforehand, by a sample of college students, middle-class adults and psychiatrists, that only one "teacher" in a thousand (0.1%) would obey the experimenter's instructions
to apply shocks in excess of 300 volts. 65% actually went all the way to 450 volts.
References:
Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, vol 55, pp 470-478.
Milgram, S. (1964). Issues in the study of obedience: A reply to Baumrind. American Psychologist, vol 19, pp 848-852.
Milgram, S. (1965). Some conditions of obedience and disobedience to authority. Human Relations, vol 18, pp 57-76.
Milgram, S. (1965). Liberating effects of group pressure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol 1, pp 127-134.
Milgram, S. (1974). Obedience to Authority. New York, Harper and Row.
[1]The Milgram Experiment: A Lesson in Depravity [I believe this source is incorrect in stating that all "teachers" went to 300 volts, and I have edited the text above to reflect this]
That is fascinating. It is truly disturbing what some people can do to others. Thanks for the links, and the great presentation of the details. I guess that it all goes to show that absolutely power corrupts absolutely.