Would You Do THAT - The Milgram Experiment

CLASS EXERCISE: Educator Joe Wayand has passed on this exercise, which he does in his classroom: When I cover the Milgram Experiment, I show part of the original film "Obedience" (Obedience) - most universities have it (note that you can show parts of the full documentary "Milgram Experiment 1962"). I make sure the class time is over before I can't show the video anymore. Then I tell the students, "I know the time is almost up, but I want you to stay and watch the rest of the video." After about 1 minute, I say again, "I know we're late, but it's important that you watch the rest of the video." The students are very restless at this time, but usually they remain seated. 3 minutes over... 4 minutes over... I often have to "let them off the hook" by parroting the experimenter's language: "It's important that you stay until the video is over." "When the video is over, I'll rewind it and we'll see from the beginning." Finally, it dawns on a student that I want to trick him. When the first student gets up to leave, I shout: "Sit down! You have to stay and watch the video!" Usually, the student walks on, and I keep screaming. "I'm Dr. Wayand! I demand that you return to your seat!" At this point, half of the students are smiling and the other half are horrified. Eventually, they get the joke too, and I continue to urge them to return to their seats as they all pour out of the classroom. In this way, the students get a personal impression of the conformity that surrounds us everywhere. They understand that it's not just "other people" who are subject to conformity. At the beginning of the next lesson, we discuss how it felt, etc. You have to be a bit brave to attempt this feat, but the students really remember it. Many thanks to Jon Mueller, professor of psychology at North Central College in Naperville, for making this activity available on his website. Discussion on ethical implications Start a discussion with your class about the pros and cons of Milgram's study. Divide the class into two teams, dividing one as a supporter and one as an opponent of the study. Now let each group collect arguments for their position, e.g.: Pro: Milgram's study gave us a good insight into the topic of human behavior, obedience, and responsibility. Cons: The study was unethical because the participants were deceived, unable to give informed consent, and driven to commit horrific acts of violence that they will have to live with for the rest of their lives. Original: "Sprouts Germany" Original: German. All translations in this video have been done by the alugha AI.

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