MEPX
Chapter 3 of 10All chapters
  1. 1Situations over character
  2. 2Conformity
  3. 3Obedience
  4. 4Groups
  5. 5Influence
  6. 6Helping and the bystander effect
  7. 7Prejudice and contact
  8. 8The social self
  9. 9Which classics survived
  10. 10Where it is used

Chapter 3 of 10

Obedience

Milgram, carefully.

What was found

A majority of participants continued administering what they believed were dangerous shocks when instructed by an authority figure. The result shocked researchers and the public.

  • Compliance dropped sharply when the authority was distant or the victim close.
  • Many participants protested throughout while continuing.

The criticism

Ethics, prodding beyond the script, and variable procedures have all been challenged, and some participants doubted the setup. The broad conclusion survives in weakened form.