In this sociological research paper, we are going to critically analyze the experiment on obedience to authority figures conducted by psychologist Stanley Milgram of Yale University. The experiment objective was devised to measure the willingness of individuals to obey authoritative commands which conflict with their personal conscious from an authoritative figure. The main aim of this experiment which later brought controversy was to determine if Eichmann and his accomplices of the holocaust, regarding the objective of these grave holocausts had mutual intent. The finding of these experiments was later compiled by the psychologist and formatted into a journal in the year 1963, “The Journal of Abnormal and social psychology.” This was later analyzed in depth in a book, “Obedience to authority: An experimental view” in the year 1974.
Ethical Issues
This experiment to my understanding raises the following ethical issues, the fact that all the correspondents of this experiment were independently asked to commit the act of punishment shows that it’s human nature to reprimand and not forgive. This also made me believe that most of us dimly have no control over right and wrong and rely on someone’s direction to function, this is the case as many of the participants when urged on continued inflicting pain literally to the confederate while knowing well that whatever they were doing was not right, they were justified with pleasing the experimenter much than heeding to their conscious which is contrary to the urges of the experimenters. This kind of experiment although it plays major stress-related affliction is generally associated and found daily in our lives, in a working set-up a manager will execute any strategy based on his assessment and evaluation leading the firm to serious losses and the other employees will oblige to this instruction oblivious of the dire consequences that will following after this decisions have been fully implemented.
Fatigue and Stress
The research was proper although it did give the participant fatigue and stress, the morals behind the finding to my observation are ethical. The research help to elaborate how authority influences our reasoning and thinking, obedience is a form of a task in this system of understanding and is seriously affected by any authority figure. This authoritative figure dominates the trust of the person that the authority is being directed toward and the confusion that arises here is what many perceive as being obedient (Henslin, 2009). This confusion is brought about by the need to please and act right before the authoritative figure. This research helped understand why those in critical situations do some gruel some activities claiming they were under instructions.
Psychologist limitations
In Psychologist Henslin textbooks and journals which later formed laws, limiting psychologists or scientists under the certain experiment of misconduct for the participants, either animals or human beings. In this experiment by psychologist Stanley Milgram although the participant did not indulge in the real execution of electrocuting the confederate by shock, they suffered the mental stress for they felt they were doing that (Milgram, 2009).
This is against the laws which originated the handbook of one Henslin and which are restrictions for the pursuant of any experiment involving human samples and because of the stress infliction of the participant is therefore ruled as against the Henslin rules. So actually Stanley Milgram did violate the competence ethical standard by the latter. Though there was no physical intimidation on the part of the confederate, the participant felt the stress of inflicting the pain to the helpless fellow for not knowing simple quiz, the mental and traumatic association by the participant are enormous as some participant show disdain and become remorseful after the whole process, meaning it had some emotional impact on them.
Conclusion
This thesis by Milgram is very educational although critics were raising alarm over the way it was conducted, the real finding would help evaluate a person who only executed commands from those who willingly or personally executed their own will. This helps us to ethically know how to control commands and how obedience should not be intimidated by an authoritative figure.
References
Henslin, M. (2009). Essentials of sociology: A down-to-earth approach. (8th Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Milgram, S. (2009). Behavioral Study of Obedience. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. 67: (5) 371–378.