Conformity,Obedience,andChoice

EveShalensbehaviorwasinfluencedbypeerpressure.Stereotypeshada
profoundeffectontheactionsofJesusColon.Otherfactorsalsoshapethe
wayswereacttotheworldaroundus.Oneofthemostpowerfulofthese
centersaroundthewayswerespondtopeopleweinvestwithauthority.Inthe
1970s,psychologistStanleyMilgramconductedastudythatfocusedonissues
ofobedience.Atwhatpoint,hewondered,wouldanindividualrefusetoobeya
directorderinthiscase,anordertoinflictincreasingpainonaprotesting
victim?Tofindout,Milgramrecruitedpaidvolunteersforwhathecalleda
studyoftheeffectsofpunishmentonlearning.
Milgramdesignatedeachvolunteerateacher.Andastheteacherwatched,
alearnerwasstrappedintoachairandtoldtomemorizewordpairsforatest.
Eachwaswarnedthatwronganswerswouldresultinelectricshocks.The
learnerwas,infact,amemberofMilgramsteam.Therealfocusofthe
experimentwastheteacher.Eachteacherwastakentoaseparateroomand
seatedbeforeabankofswitchesrangingfrom15voltslabeledslightshock
to450voltslabeleddangersevereshock.Teachersweretoincreasea
learnersshocksbyfifteenvoltsforeachincorrectanswer.
Milgrampredictedthatmostvolunteerswouldrefusetogiveelectricshocksof
morethan150volts.Agroupofpsychologistsandpsychiatriststhoughtthat
lessthanonetenthof1percentofthevolunteerswouldadministerall450
volts.Toeveryonesamazement,65percentgavethefull450volts!
LaterMilgramtriedtoisolatethefactorsthatencouragedobediencebyvarying
partsoftheexperiment.Inonevariation,herepeatedthetestinalessacademic
setting.Obediencedroppedtonearly48percent,stillaveryhighnumber.In
anothervariation,volunteersreceivedinstructionsbyphone.Withoutan
authorityfigureintheroom,only21percentcontinuedtotheend.
Thedistancebetweenthevolunteerandthelearneralsomadeadifference.
Only40percentoftheteachersobeyedwhenthelearnerwasinthesame
room.Obediencedroppedto30percentwhenvolunteershadtoplacethe
learnershandonametalplatetogivetheshock.Ontheotherhand,when
theyhadalesserroleintheexperiment,92percentofthevolunteerswentall
theway.Milgramconcludedthatthefartherthesubjectswerefromthevictim,
themorelikelytheyweretogoalltheway.TosociologistZygmuntBauman
thisfindingisimportant:Itisdifficulttoharmapersonwetouch.Itis
somewhateasiertoinflictpainuponapersonweonlyseeatadistance.Itis
stilleasierinthecaseofapersonweonlyhear.Itisquiteeasytobecruel

isthesubjecttoknow?Itiseasytoseethattheremustbealine;itisnotsoeasy
toseewherethatlineoughttobe.
PhilipZimbardo,apsychologistatStanfordUniversity,focusedonthebehavior
ofthosewhorefusedtoobey:
ThequestiontoaskofMilgramsresearchisnotwhythemajorityofnor
mal,averagesubjectsbehaveinevil(felonious)ways,butwhatdidthedis
obeyingminoritydoaftertheyrefusedtocontinuetoshockthepoorsoul,who
wassoobviouslyinpain?Didtheyintervene,gotohisaid,didtheydenounce
theresearcher,protesttohigherauthorities,etc.?No,eventheirdisobedience
waswithintheframeworkofacceptability,theystayedintheirseats,intheir
assignedplace,politely,psychologicallydemurred,andtheywaitedtobedis
missedbytheauthority.Usingothermeasuresofobedienceinadditionto
goingallthewayontheshockgenerator,obediencetoauthorityinMilgrams
researchwastotal.

Connections
Milgramhasdefinedobedienceasthepsychologicalmechanismthatlinks
individualactiontopoliticalpurpose.Howdoyoudefineit?Howdoour
feelingsaboutauthorityfigures(teachers,doctors,policeofficers,andothers
investedwithpowerinoursociety)affecttheoptionsweperceive?Thechoice
wefinallymake?
Whatisthedifferencebetweenobedienceandunthinkingorblindobedience?
Howdoeseachaffectthechoicesweperceive?Thechoicewefinallymake?
Whatencouragesobedience?Isitfearofthoseinpower?Adesiretoplease
authorityfigures?Abeliefinauthority?Peerpressure?Aneedtoconformto
goalongwiththegroup?Whatisthedifferencebetweenobedienceand
conformity?
Whydoyouthinkitisdifficulttoharmsomeonewetouch?Whyisit
somewhateasiertoinflictpainuponapersonweonlyseeatadistanceand
easierstillonsomeoneweonlyhear?Doesthisexplainwhyitisquiteeasyto
becrueltowardsapersonweneitherseenorhear?

HowwouldyouanswerthequestionsSabiniandSilverraise?Atwhatpointis
theexperimentnolongerharmless?Whereexactlyshouldvolunteersstop?
Howisthevolunteertoknowthatpointhasbeenreached?Isthereapointwhen
itstoolatetostop?
HowdoesZimbardodefinethetermobedience?Whatdoeshisdefinition
suggestaboutourneedtoconform?Whatdoesitsuggestaboutthemeaningof
thewordcourage?
IfMilgramsfindingsareaccurate,whatfostersactsofcruelty?Indifferenceto
thefateofothers?Howthenmightaschoolencourageactsofcaring?Choose
oneideaandinvestigatethewaysitcanbeputintoeffect.Howmighta
neighborhoodencourageactsofcaring?Societyasawhole?