The Shocking Truth

Today I went to school and then I came home. Aside from the hot dog I ate for lunch or the soba noodles I had for dinner I didn't eat any crazy food. I didn't go exploring the nooks and crannies of Tokyo. I just did homework and played a little bit of video games. Since that doesn't give me alot to tell you about I thought I would an interesting tidbit of information with you.

Stanley Milgram

In my psychology class I was assigned to write a biography of one of the famous social psychologists of the past. I chose Stanley Milgram because he was the only one whose main contribution to science I could identify. Since Milgram discovered and refined some fascinating theories and principles I thought I would share a little bit about his work with my readers.

Stanley Milgram is famous for what has come to be known as the Milgram experiments (pretty original name huh?). Inspired by the trial of Adolf Eicman and curious as to whether average Americans would have reacted in a similar manner to the Nazi Germans if under similar leadership, he devised a test which showed the average person to be capable of heartless cruelty when under the guidance of a seemingly legitimate authority.

The experiment was conducted for the first time at Yale in July of 1961. 40 participants were recruited through advertising to take part in what they believed to be an experiment to explore human learning. The real experiment was quite different but the participants were not told this until after its completion. Each participant was paired with a person they believed to be another test subject but who was in reality an actor. They were then old that each pair would be separated, with one person randomly chosen as a “teacher” and the other a “learner”. The experimenters rigged the drawing of names so that the real participant was always the teacher. The "teacher" was led into a small room with an experimenter and the actor playing the "student" was led in to a seperate adjoining room connected by phone so that he could communicate with but not be seen by the "teacher". The experimenter would explain to the "teacher" that the "student" was being strapped into a wired chair. The "teacher" was to read simple questions to the "student" and if the student failed to answer correctly the "teacher" was told to hit a button that would deliver a shock through the chair. The voltage would be increased with each incorrect answer starting at 45 volts and ending at 45o volts.

The test was conducted to see how far the "teacher" would go before refusing to continue. The actor playing the "student" gave frequent incorrect answers and as the schock (no real shock was being delivered) became stronger the "student" would scream, beg for mercy and demand to be released. If the "teacher" hesitated or asked for instructions from the experimenter he was told to continue. The experiment was only complete after each "teacher" hit the maximum shock or refused to continue.

Before the results of the experiment were revealed Milgram surveyed psychologists to learn what percentage of the participants would continue on to the highest level. Those professionals surved said that less than one percent would go to 450 volts. Can you guess what the actual number was?

It was 67.5%. 27 of the 40 participants continued to deliver shocks despite the screams of the actor up until the maximum voltage was reached. None of the participants refused to continue the experiment before 300 volts. None of those who quit made any effort to help the person they had shocked or even inquire about his release. In Stanley Milgram's eyes, this showed that most Americans would likely go along with genocide if so ordered by the government.

I think this shows very clearly mankind's fallen state and reveals how easily we can be led astray by others. It is a chilling reminder for us to decide before a difficult situation who we will obey and where we are willing to take a stand.