<p>Milgram, (1963) Obedience Study Yale University, “Obey at Any Cost” Subjects “gave” electric shocks to “learners” giving shocks. </p><p>Theoretical Proposition: How could people be capable of carrying out great harm to others simply because they were ordered to do it… “I was only following orders.”</p><p>Milgram believed: The tendency to obey is deeply ingrained. It cancels out a person’s ability to behave morally, ethically, and sympathetically.</p><p>People have a tendency to obey people of authority- even if they violate their own codes of behavior. They would inflict pain on people if ordered to do so.</p><p>Method:  Simulation of learning- people volunteer to participate in study  Said they would participate.  Are made to believe they get the job of “teacher” by random selection  They must ask questions, of people in another room, if the “respondents” answer questions inappropriately.  Teacher gives “shocks” with increasing levels of intensity.  Respondents complain… “Teachers” ask for guidance form “Authority” and are told to continue with the experiment.  Continued protests are recorded and Authority says “You have not other choice, you must go on.”  Obedience is recorded  Level 30 shock is identified as obedient  Under 30 is defiant</p><p>Results: 14 subjects defied orders 26 of 40 - people = 65% obeyed</p><p>Subjects- showed signs of extreme Stress, Concern, Anger but still obeyed.</p><p>Discussion: 2 main points Milgram’s view People exhibited a strong tendency to obey. Obedience cause stress and tension Subjects made rationalizations why they should obey:  See page 308 for quote.  Yale sponsor- “Who am I to question.”  Goals are important, “I’ll do my part.”  “The learner volunteered.”  “I got this part by chance.”  “I better do a good job I was paid.”  I’ll yield to the psychologist he knows better.  Shocks are not dangerous but painful.</p><p>Significance: People obey, when they don’t really want to and they will inflict pain on someone else if Authority figure tells them to.</p><p>Found that the physical and therefore emotional distances of the victim from the teacher altered the amount of obedience. Highest level of obedience – 93% occurred when the learner was in another room.</p><p>Physical distance of Authority figure influenced obedience Closer = more obedience</p><p>Proximity = Closer = more obedience</p><p>When people had a choice about the level of shock they only used number 2. </p>