Milgram Study findings and importance - Essay Example

? Milgan Experiment A Milgram experiment on obedience was a chain of psychology tests conducted by a famous Psychologist d Stanley Milgram in the University of Yale. This work tends to summarize the Milgram experiment. It further analyzes its importance organizational management and the negative ethical implications to the learner. Milgram experiment involved three main characters, namely the experimenter (E), the subject or the teacher (T) and the learner (L). The experimenter (authority) and the recipient or the learner plays some secret roles, not to be known by the subject. The subject is made to believe that for every wrong answer the recipient is subjected to some electric shock, however, in reality; the learner was never subjected to such punishments. The learner who should be an actor plays some pre-corded sound to convince the subject that he/ she actually receives the electric shock. The teacher and learner are put in two separate rooms where they do not see each other, but can communicate to each other. The teacher is provided with some words to teach the learner. The teacher was made to read the initial pair of words then enables the learner to predict the possible match, the teacher also reads for possible answers; then the learner gave his/ her feedback by pressing a certain button to select the correct answer. The teacher would then execute some electric shock to the learner, for every wrong feedback, the shock increased by about 15 volts as the test progressed. However, could the learner give the correct answer, the subject moved to the next question (Walton, 2009). The learner could complain about the heart condition to convince the subject that he/she is receiving an actual electric shock. Furthermore, he banged the wall as a response to the shock stimuli. A subject was expected to stop the test after subjecting about 140 volts to the learner. It was at this juncture that the subject would actually inquire what the experiment was about. Some subjects offered to continue with the test only after assurance that they would not be held accountable for all the damages on the learner, some laughed it off while some were stressed or depressed on learning that the learner is actually hurt. At some point, the subject wished to stop out of moral belief that the learner was in actual pain, but the experimenter or the authority would order him/her to continue. However, the experiment was stopped should the subject make four or five successive attempts to stop or after subjecting 450 volts of electric shock to the learner, on three successive operations. The experimenter would always assure the subject that the learner would not suffer any permanent tissues damage; hence he was to continue until the learner learnt all the words. To ascertain the result of the experiment, Milgram selected about 100 senior psychology students to determine the response among the 100 subjects or hypothetical teachers. It was found that only three subjects out of the hundred would continue with the experiment, until the maximum voltage of 450volts was executed to the learner (Moore, 2004). Milgram also selected about forty psychiatrists who ascertained that majority of subjects would quit the test after subjecting the learner to a ten successive shock executions. They also found out that after reaching 300 volts, most subjects would stop the test once requested by the learners, and only three out of the hundred subjects would continue with the test even after the learner stopped responding to the questions, out of the pain from electric shock. It was clear the very few subjects were willing to execute full voltage to the learner, out of moral beliefs. Furthermore, at some point majority of subjects inquired the implication of the experiment, and were willing to give back the amount they were paid. This was out of pity or remorse to the inflicted learners. Subjects demonstrated some degree of stress and depression during the experimental session. The majority was sweating, groaning, biting their lips and trembling among other signs to indicate that they were moved by the pain inflicted to the learners. The result of the experiment indicated that human is moved or affected when inflicting some pain or torture to the other party. Some would wish to stop despite the order from a more superior body or party to continue. Milgan laments that everyone has the sense of moral belief, even the hardest known criminals. The authority or experimenter wishes were obeyed despite the subjects being psychologically tortured for inflicting some pain to the innocent learners whose cry or groan spoke volume to the subjects. The experimented also indicated that the majority of criminals does not execute the attacks out of their own will, they tend to obey orders from more superior individuals or parties. An ordinary person of reputable moral and ethic standards may be turned into a destructive object since the majority has no courage to object their superiors, whenever such orders are given. Milgan concludes that there is need to have a second thought whenever a criminal is brought on board, since he or she may just be a tool while the main mastermind is left at large. So far, the experiment is applied in criminal investigation strategies in major parts of the universe (Weber, 2009). Milgram later conducted a similar experiment to ascertain the level of loyalty or obedience of workers in a certain unregistered office in Yale; here he found out that about 60 % of the subjects left their rooms to check on the learner’s health without seeking permission from the experimenter. The professor came up with two major theories following the success of the experiment, first, he laments that the subject, representing the ordinary human will have to follow orders from his superiors once he cannot make personal decisions, and this will make him do some things against his moral beliefs. Secondly, a subject naturally obeys the wish or orders of their seniors despite their personal instincts or moral beliefs. The study was aimed to ascertain the degree of willingness of the learners to be obedient to the authority, who ordered some instructions against the learners will or conscious. Milgram began his experiment in 1961; just a few months after the trial Adolf Eichmann (German war criminal) had just begun in Israel. The study or experiment was used to determine the truth behind the criminals questioning, the authority aimed at ascertaining Adolf intentions in his criminal activities. They also wanted to know whether Adolf and his team had some sense of morality when they executed their criminal attacks to the innocent people. The experimental findings were that those involved could be following the orders of executions, but against their personal will or consciousness (Kelman, 2000). Milgram explains that each person has a sense of morals despite the depth, Adolf and his team engaged in criminal acts to obey some orders that were given by more superior parties. Since then, the experiment has been conducted in several corners of the universe with a small percentage of results variations. However, scientists and psychologists have disputed the experiment due to some negative ethical implications to the learner or the questioned. A) Milgan experiment has several applications in instilling obedience in a certain organization. Subjects who are ordinary workers are made to follow some orders without questionings. This ensures that all works are executed as top managers’ wishes. An organization with instilled obedience is unlikely to experience workers’ strike or complains. The management team would also learn their subjects’ moral beliefs or ethical standards, so that their management strategy is in accordance with their subjects’ interests. The study also promotes workplace diversity; different people would have a different level or degree of obedience. Not all workers would go against their personal moral beliefs to inflict some sufferings to their juniors. It is the role of the top management team to learn how to deal with both the groups. The study would also help in making judgments in a certain organization. An ordinary man or worker is likely to commit some immoral or unethical acts within the organization. Milgan study reveals that such orders are likely to be given by senior most individual or group of people with the organization (Milgan, 2000). For instance, a human resources manager may be ordered by the senior most human resource manager in the head office to retrench or demote workers from a certain ethnic group. It would be unfair to place all the blame on the regional human resource manager since he is also obeying some orders to keep his job. Should any illegal action to be taken, it would be wise to arrest the topmost leaders who gave such orders. The study helps the subjects or ordinary workers learn the importance of personal decisions. One should do his/her duty according to the organizational legal and ethical codes. They should not obey ill motives of some selfish leaders. Hence it is the responsibility of each person to understand all the legal or ethical framework of his/her organization (Blass, 2000). It is important to mention that ignorance has never been a defense when it comes to legal matters. For instance, a worker will be arrested and charged after committing some offense irrespective of following some orders from the topmost leaders. B) The experiment may have some ethical and psychological impact on the parties, more so the subjects or teachers who were stressed or depressed for inflicting pain to the learners.. Diana Baumrind, a famous psychologist lamented that the experiment is likely to cause mistrust among organizational member, for instance, top leaders would stop believing on their subjects once they learn that the later execute their duties against their personal will or conscious. Such organizational members may lose their chances depending on the organizational legal and ethical codes. The test may also cause psychological torture to the organizational members. Long hours of questioning may not be comfortable among some people (Pojman, 2008). The idea of inflicting false pain to the learner and making the subject believe its role itself is unethical. Although the experiment will lose its implication should the subject learn that the electric shock subjected to the learner is a fake, psychologists lament, that majority of the subjects would feel used when they learn the real implication of the experiment. Subjects would also be demoralized to learn that the experimenter or the authority is responsible of their quilts; this might see some of them quit or resign from their respective organizations. The essence of paying a subject to inflict the learner is unethical. Everyone has some sense of ethics or moral belief, hence it would be disturbing to make one to go against his/her moral belief and inflict some torture to another party, just because of money. The experiment is not ideal for both internal and external stakeholders of a certain organization. First, it makes the subjects or the employees feel that they are mere objects to satisfy or fulfill the authority wishes. This kills all the motivation an employee would have in any organization (Ozihel, 2012). This experiment may scare away external stakeholders like donors, sponsors, clients or customers among others. It would be traumatizing to learn that the subjects or employees of a certain organizations are made to do some activities against their moral beliefs. There are multibillion companies which have lost major contracts on allegations of wrong or immoral management strategies. Religious organizations would only deal with organizations having good and working relationships between the workers and leaders. At the end of the day all human are important and one should be allowed to carry out his/her duties according to the legal and ethical codes of the company. To conclude, Milgan test caused some negative ethical impacts to the subjects. Majority trembled or even cried during the exercise out of remorse. The experiment has several implications in the modern world. All men and women have some sense of moral beliefs hence top management leaders should give their orders, knowing that each person has the right to obey or object a certain order depending on his/her personal ethics. However, some employees may develop poor working habits should they be allowed to perform their duties with regard to their personal or individual attitudes; hence a balance should be strike should be obtained to ensure workers’ rights are observed while they perform their duties. Top organizational leaders should ensure all workers access boards containing organizational legal and ethical codes, to limit chances of their exploitations. Furthermore, top management team should organize occasional meetings or departmental gatherings to sensitize the workers on their rights while in the organization. References Blass, T. 2000. Obedience to Authority. New York: Taylor& Francis press. Kelman, H. 2000. Crimes of Obedience. New York: Yale University press. Milgan, S. 2000. Obedience to Authority,an experimental review. New Jersey: Harper & Row. Moore, B. 2004. Injustice: The Social Bases of obedience and revolt. New York: M.E Sharpe press. Ozihel, H. 2012. Milgram Experiment. New York: Frac Press. Pojman, L. P. 2008. Ethics: discovering wrong and right. New York: Cengage Learning. Walton, G. 2005. History of the American economy. New York: Thompson/ South Western press. Weber, M. 2009. The Theory of social economic organization. London: Simon and Schuster. Read More