Milgram 's Research On Obedience Essay

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Why did Milgram decide to study this topic? What was the motivating factor/event that inspired Milgram to research obedience?
• The main reason that Milgram decided to study the topic of obedience was to better understand the extreme inhumane conditions that Jews faced during the holocaust at the hands of German soldiers. Over the 12 year period between the early 1930’s through the mid 1940’s millions of Jews died in death camps run by Germans. Since Milgram himself was of Jewish descent, Milgram wanted to know how and why soldiers obeyed orders to kill innocent people.
What was hypothesized? You may not find an explicit hypothesis in the article, but do your best to write a summary of what Milgram thought he might find when conducting the experiment.
• In this experiment Milgram hypothesized, how far participants were willing to carry out commands from a peer who had greater power and authority over them; even if these commands went totally against their values.
How many participants (called subjects in the article) were observed, how were they selected, and how would you describe them?
• In the Milgram obedience study 40 males participated in the experience, all of participants were selected based on a newspaper article ad that Milgram placed. It stated that if they participate in an experiment at Yale University they would be paid a sum of $4.50, which at the time was a large amount of money. Of the 40 men that were selected their ages ranged from 20 years old
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