Complying with an order from another
person to carry out an action. The
person is usually of authority and has
power.
Mai Lai Massacre
(Example of dangers)
500 innocent vietnamese
civilians slaughtered by the
Charlie Company
Lieutenant Calley's response
"i was ordered to go there
and destroy the enemy... That
was the mission i was given."
He was merely taking orders
and bore no direct responsibility.
Milgram 1974
Set out to question the "Germans
are different" hypothesis.
He believed that the situation led to
the inhumane behavior and that
anybody could behave the same way
under the circumstances.
Situational explanation
Advertised for
participants at
Yale university
Participant was paired
with a learner
(confederate) and
witnessed electrodes
being put onto the
learners head before
entering another room.
if a learner got a word wrong
the teacher would shock them.
Milgram predicted 2% would
shock to 450v but 65% did.
Hofling et al
1966
22 nurses received phone calls from a
confederate doctor instructing them to give a
patient 20mg of a made up drug.
The label on the box clearly stated that 10mg was the
maximum daily dose. if the nurse obeyed she would be
breaking the rules requiring written authorisation..
21 out of 22 nurses complied
without hesitation.
Bickman 1974
Three male researchers
gave orders to 153
random pedestrians.
Participants were more likely to obey
the researcher dressed as a guard (80%)
than the milkman or civilian (40%).