Question

Questions:

1.After viewing the film, “Obedience” by Stanley Milgram, which two experimental conditions (different variables changed such as proximity of authority figure, closeness of victim, etc.) of the experiment did you have a strong personal reaction to?

List and describe the two experimental conditions of the experiment AND your personal reactions.
Be specific in your answer by describing the experimental condition portrayed in the film and your personal reaction (such as fear, surprise, anger, shock, wonder, etc.)
A.First experimental condition and personal reaction (10 points):
B.Second experimental condition and personal reaction (10 points):

2.Describe an event when an authority figure was able to convince you (or someone you know or heard of) to do something you (they) did not want to do, either intentionally or unintentionally?
NOTE: This event can range from being a simple thing like obeying a teacher in school or a parent at home to a more complex event like obeying an authority figure in order to protect someone else or yourself. Or it could be something in-between.

If so, then why did you (they) personally compromise your (their) own beliefs in order to submit to the will of said authority figure?

Discuss how Milgram’s research and theory explains your event.

3. What historical and/or current events mirror Milgram’s findings on obedience?
What links do you see between one historical and/or current event?
What similarities to the findings do you see?
Describe in detail the similarities you have found between the two.
Discuss how this event relates to Milgram’s research and theory

Answer 1

Milgram was one of the influential social psychologists of the time and was deeply interested in studying the concept of blind obedience and its negative consequences for people. He believed that it is a dangerous human tendency. These were ethically challenged which made them controversial, since they exhibited extremely harsh conditions on their subjects. Initial reaction to the video and to the experiment overall was shock and extreme fear in very many ways. Especially because these have been compared to the inhumane behaviour such as the ones portrayed by Nazis over the Jews. He came up with the boldest of experiments to study various themes of his interest. The extremities and cruelty shown in both the experiments were so brutal that they inculcated a lot of fear and anger inside me upon watching. This almost began taking the shape of sadistic pleasure arising out of such hurt and brutality. There have been times when authority figures had wrongly made choose a subject which I did not find interest in. That led me to score poor marks in the subject, however the need to obey or merely comply was high due to the sense of parental authority and control being normalized that it did not seem like a big deal at the time. The reason for this behaviour was that it was sub-consciously and culturally embedded or conditioned in my mind that authority figures are to be obeyed and respected by children. His theory does explain the behaviour on point since this is a potent human attribute and as he suggests, it is potentially lethal in very many ways since a person may end up choosing even harmful choices under the pressure of conforming or obeying per se.