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What Zimbardo's SPE apparently did, was really more of a replication of Milgram's earlier experiments showing that people will do bad things if an authority fig
by rossdavidh 8y ago
What Zimbardo's SPE apparently did, was really more of a replication of Milgram's earlier experiments showing that people will do bad things if an authority figure tells them to. Which is interesting and important...and not new. It wasn't even new when Zimbardo did it. Milgram's experiment (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment) was well known even when Zimbardo was planning his, and while this would be supportive of the conclusions from Milgram's earlier work, it wouldn't break any new ground.
- quadrangle 8y agoAs I heard in https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/bad-show https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/bad-show , Milgram's study is actually much more nuanced but insightful. The participants given an absolute order to administer the highest shocks are the ones who refused! Instead of showing that people do whatever they are told by authorities, the results showed that people go along up to the point where they feel they are still in control and choosing to go forward. When it's an absolute order, they rebel!
- modells 8y agoinappropriate humor department of humor So that's why my wife never orders me around directly. /inappropriate humor department of humor
- modells 8y agoThe difference being Milgram used actors as there was no actual suffering, only the intent to cause suffering on-command. Milgram's experiment proved what atrocities like the Holocaust and Armenian Genocide already made clear: most people are cowards, will happily turn you over to butchers, if not murder you themselves, if directed.
- hluska 8y agoMilgram's actual participants suffered.
- PeterStuer 8y agoYou could argue that people look for an authority figure that lets them do the "bad" things they want to do.