LDR 6135 Week 5 Post

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School

Northeastern University *

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Course

6135

Subject

Psychology

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

2

Uploaded by AdmiralSummerWasp9

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Hi Everyone, In my opinion, the majority of participants in the Milgram Obedience Experiment followed instructions to increase voltage because of several interrelated factors: 1. Obedience to Authority: The participants viewed the experimenter, who wore a lab coat and represented a position of authority, as an expert. This trust in authority figures led them to comply with the commands. 2. Diffusion of Responsibility: Participants may have felt less personal responsibility for the consequences of their actions because they believed the authority figure bore the responsibility. In essence, they perceived themselves as mere agents following orders. 3. Gradual Escalation: The experiment introduced increasingly higher voltage levels incrementally. This gradual escalation allowed participants to rationalize their actions and avoid confronting the ethical dilemma all at once. 4. Dehumanization: Participants could not see or interact with the person receiving the shocks, which might have made it easier for them to distance themselves emotionally from the consequences. If such an experiment would inflict real pain on the subjects who were answering the questions incorrectly, who should be held most responsible - the people who developed and organized the experiment or the individuals who are pressing the buttons? Responsibility in the Milgram Experiment is a complex issue. While the individuals who pressed the buttons were directly responsible for their actions, the primary responsibility falls on those who developed and organized the experiment. 1. Experiment Developers and Organizers: They designed a scenario that induced psychological stress and discomfort in participants, often leading them to believe they were causing harm. The ethical responsibility of researchers is to ensure the well-being and mental health of their participants, and the experiment failed in this regard. 2. Informed Consent: Participants in an experiment must provide informed consent, knowing the potential risks and benefits. The experiment organizers failed to provide this, as many participants later reported feeling misled about the nature of the study. 3. Protection of Participants: Ethical guidelines require the protection of participants from physical or psychological harm. The experiment's organizers did not adequately protect participants from psychological distress. 4. Debriefing: While debriefing is a crucial part of any ethical experiment, many participants in the Milgram study left the experiment without proper counseling and clarification about the true nature of the study. Many people say that they would never follow such instructions. If so, why do we
continue to hear about military atrocities and why do companies like Theranos, Enron, and WorldCom continue to violate basic rules of ethics? The gap between what people say they would do and actual behavior can be attributed to various factors: 1. Authority and Pressure: In situations involving authority figures or intense pressure, people may find it challenging to defy orders or expectations, as evidenced by the Milgram experiment. 2. Diffusion of Responsibility: Large organizations often involve multiple layers of decision-making, which can lead to a diffusion of responsibility. Employees may follow unethical practices, believing that they are merely cogs in a larger machine. 3. Cultural Norms: Societal and organizational cultures can shape behavior. In environments where unethical behavior is tolerated or even encouraged, individuals may succumb to peer pressure or conform to cultural norms. 4. Motivation and Rationalization: Some individuals may justify unethical actions based on personal gain, ambition, or perceived necessity, which can lead them to prioritize self-interest over ethical principles.
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