Half a century ago, Yale psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted an experiment proving the general desire of most people to obey a stronger personality. Milgram wanted to prove - and proved - that man is willing to go to any extremes if ordered to do their power. This is how this strange experience developed and why it was banned from repetition in all countries of the world.
Prerequisites
Milgram closely followed the trial of one of the main Nazi criminals, Adolf Eichmann. He told the Nuremberg Tribunal that all the atrocities he had committed were just the result of the execution of the command order by the responsible employee. The worst thing is that Eichmann really did not look like a crazy fanatics: he gave the impression of an absolutely normal person who acted according to the laws set from above. The American psychologist decided to check to what limits an ordinary individual who is ready to obey can go.
The essence of the experiment
The respondents recruited from the street felt confident that they were taking part in research on the effects of pain on short-term memory. The "student" was a dummy - wires were brought up to him, through which the "teacher" (a person from the street) had to supply current in case of incorrect answers. Each mistake was punished with an ever stronger discharge.
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rules
Before the beginning, the person received a shock of 45 V - in order to understand how the subject would feel. Scientists said that this did not pose serious harm to the "student". In fact, the figurehead was only simulating pain. Starting from 45 V, the "teacher" had to increase the voltage with each error by 15 V, up to 450 V.
Calming factor
The experimental psychologist said he was taking full responsibility. “Please continue. The experience must be carried through to the end. You have to do it, you have no choice,”- this was heard by the man with the switch when he began to doubt his actions. Meanwhile, there were no threats: a person could refuse to participate in the experiment at any time.
Process
The "student" was isolated from the "teacher". All forty subjects reached the 300 volt mark - and only then did the actor begin to beat against the wall so that it could be heard in the next room. After some time, the "student" simply fell silent and did not react to stimuli.
Willingness to kill
26 people out of 40 went to the very end. They pressed the button labeled 450V. Moreover, before the eyes of the people there was a scale with marks: from 375 to 420 V - "Dangerous: severe shock", from 435 to 450 V - "XXX".
Results of the experiment
Milgram's practical experiment has been tested many times. The results remained unchanged: perfectly ordinary people readily "killed" when they believed that they were performing an action fully justified by the laws. The last time the conditions of the experiment were slightly changed - after a "blow" of 150 V, the subject began to complain of pain in the heart, but 28 out of 40 people (70%) readily increased the tension - after all, this would help science. At the moment, the repetition of Stanley Milgram's experience is banned in all countries of the world - ostensibly for ethical reasons.