Understanding Milgram's Obedience Study

Medium Unit 9: Social Psychology Conformity And Obedience

During the 1960s, psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted a series of controversial experiments to investigate obedience to authority figures. In these studies, participants were instructed to administer electric shocks to a learner (who was actually an actor and not truly shocked) for incorrect answers to questions. Despite the apparent distress of the learner, a significant number of participants continued to administer shocks up to the maximum voltage. This experiment raised ethical concerns but also provided deep insights into human behavior regarding authority and conformity.

Which of the following best explains why participants in Milgram's study complied with the instructions to administer shocks?

Participants believed the shocks were real and feared real consequences for disobedience.

Participants were motivated by a desire for scientific discovery and to contribute to psychology.

Participants showed a lower level of personal responsibility due to the perceived authority of the experimenter.

Participants had been conditioned to respond to authority figures from early childhood.

Participants engaged in social comparison, where they conformed to the behavior of perceived peers.

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