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1.4 Summary

  • Milgram found that most people would administer potentially lethal levels of shock to another human being, just because they were told to do so by an authority figure.
  • The use of a controlled experimental procedure enabled Milgram to explore different aspects of the situation that influence the extent to which people will obey authority.
  • Two key factors in obedience are the presence of a clear authority figure, and the distance between the person administering the shock and the ‘victim’.
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OpenLearn - Psychological research, obedience and ethics
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