Imagine there's a study where you're asked to be a teacher, and there's another person, let's call them "Tom," who's supposed to be your student. You're both in separate rooms, and you can't see each other, but you can talk through a speaker.

Now, a scientist tells you that this is a learning experiment. Your job is to ask Tom questions, and if he gets them wrong, you have to give him an electric shock. You can't see Tom, but you can hear him, and he sounds like he's in pain whenever you shock him.

Here's the catch: The scientist, who's an authority figure in this situation, keeps telling you to keep giving Tom bigger and more painful shocks, even if you're uncomfortable doing it. They might say things like, "It's important for the experiment" or "You must continue."

What Milgram discovered is that many people, even though they were uncomfortable and didn't want to hurt Tom, kept giving the shocks just because an authority figure told them to. They were willing to do things they thought were wrong because they felt they had to follow orders.

This experiment showed how powerful authority can be in influencing people to do things they might not want to do, and it raised important questions about ethics and human behavior.

Milgram Experiment, conducted by Stanley Milgram in the 1960s, is a seminal study in psychology that can be related to several principles and scientific topics:

1. Obedience to Authority: Milgram experiment primarily investigated the extent to which individuals would obey an authority figure's commands, even when those commands involved harming another person. This concept ties into the broader field of social psychology, which examines how people's behavior is influenced by social factors.

2. Ethical Dilemmas: The experiment raised profound ethical dilemmas about the treatment of human subjects in research. It highlighted the need for strict ethical guidelines in psychological research to protect participants from psychological harm.

3. Conformity: The results of Milgram study also touch on the principle of conformity, where individuals often go along with a group's decisions or actions, even if they personally disagree. In this case, participants conformed to the authority figure's instructions.

4. Bystander Effect: Milgram findings can be related to the bystander effect, a phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to help someone in need when others are present. In the experiment, participants hesitated to object or refuse because they assumed that others were also following the authority figure's commands.

5. Agency Theory: Agency theory, proposed by Milgram himself, suggests that individuals may shift from a state of autonomy to an "agentic state" when following orders from an authority figure. This theory helps explain why people might engage in actions they would not typically undertake.

6. Milgram Variations: Milgram conducted variations of his experiment to study factors such as proximity, group influence, and the presence of dissenting voices. These variations provide insights into how situational factors can affect obedience and behavior.

7. Historical Context: Milgram study was conducted in the aftermath of World War II, and it was influenced by the atrocities committed by Nazi officials who claimed to be "just following orders." This context underscores the relevance of the experiment to historical events and discussions of personal responsibility.

8. Stanford Prinson Experiment: Milgram Experiment is usually compared with the findings of Milgram's friend Dr. Philip Zimbardo in the so called Prison Experiment

References

• Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral Study of Obedience. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67(4), 371-378.
• Milgram, S. (1974). Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View. Harper & Row.
• Burger, J. M. (2009). Replicating Milgram: Would People Still Obey Today? American Psychologist, 64(1), 1-11.
• Zimbardo, P. G. (2007). The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil. Random House.