Conformity

Results Even though the correct answer was always obvious, the average subject conformed to the group response on 32% of the trials and 74% of the subjects conformed at least once.

Obedience to Authority Usually refers to people's willingness to obey direct requests or commands. People will often obey those who are in authority over them. Sometimes this type of behaviour is cause for concern.

Shock Experiment Stanley Milgram

Shock Experiment Volunteers were told they were part of a new experiment to test the effects of punishment on learning They were to teach a list of 40 matching words to a learner who was to memorize them

Shock Experiment The learner was strapped to an “electric chair” in an opposite room, where the teacher could hear the responses with an intercom Each time the learner made a mistake, the teacher was to administer an electric shock starting at 30 volts for the first error and increasing with each error, up to 450 volts

Shock Experiment The series of switches on the “shock generator” were labeled from “Slight Shock” through “Danger: Severe Shock” 300 volts=more than twice the household AC Voltage The teachers were told that the shocks might be painful but were not dangerous Unknown to the teachers, the learners were fake participants coached by Milgram

Shock Experiment If at any time the subject indicated his desire to halt the experiment, he was given a succession of verbal prods by the experimenter, in this order: Please continue. The experiment requires that you continue. It is absolutely essential that you continue. You have no other choice, you must go on.

Shock Experiment Milgram's testing suggested that it could have been that the millions of accomplices were merely following orders, despite violating their deepest moral beliefs