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9 Dec 2025
•
Milgram's Obedience Study (1963)
C
Chloe
@chloe_yxlb
1 / 4
Psychology Being Investigated & Background
You've probably heard about the Holocaust and wondered how so many people could follow such horrific orders. Stanley Milgram, whose Jewish family had fled persecution, was fascinated by this exact question after studying Adolf Eichmann's trial.
Eichmann organised the logistics of the Holocaust but claimed he was just "following orders" - he seemed completely normal, with a regular family life. This challenged the idea that only "evil" people commit terrible acts.
Milgram wanted to test whether destructive obedience (following orders that harm others) was uniquely German or if ordinary Americans would behave similarly. His study explored the situational vs individual debate - do we act badly because of our circumstances or because of our personality?
Key Insight: Social pressure doesn't always involve direct threats - sometimes just the presence of authority is enough to make people obey.
Methodology & Procedure
Milgram set up a brilliant (if controversial) deception at Yale University. He recruited 40 ordinary American men aged 20-50 through newspaper adverts, paying them $4 each.
Participants thought they were testing how punishment affects learning. They were paired with a "learner" (actually Milgram's assistant) and rigged to always become the "teacher." The teacher had to ask questions and give electric shocks for wrong answers, increasing from 15 to 450 volts.
The learner was strapped to a chair in another room, and participants heard scripted screams and protests through the wall. At 315 volts, the learner went silent. If participants hesitated, the experimenter used four verbal prods: "Please continue," "The experiment requires you to continue," "It is absolutely essential you continue," and "You have no other choice; you must go on."
Reality Check: No real shocks were given - it was all acting and sound effects, but participants genuinely believed they were hurting someone.
Findings & Results
The results shocked everyone, including Milgram himself. A staggering 65% of participants administered the maximum 450-volt shock - enough to be lethal. Only 12.5% stopped when the learner first protested at 300 volts.
Qualitative observations revealed participants weren't cold-blooded killers. They showed intense stress: sweating, trembling, stuttering, and even digging their fingernails into their flesh. Yet they continued obeying despite their obvious distress.
During debriefing, participants rated the shocks as extremely painful . Most were relieved to meet the unharmed "learner" afterwards, and 74% said they'd learned something valuable about themselves.
The study demolished the idea that Americans were morally superior to Germans - ordinary people everywhere could potentially commit terrible acts under authority pressure.
Disturbing Truth: People can simultaneously feel terrible about their actions yet continue doing them when told to by an authority figure.
Evaluation & Key Takeaways
Milgram's study has high internal validity thanks to controlled conditions and standardised procedures. The fact that similar results occurred across all 40 participants suggests good reliability.
However, it's heavily criticised for ethical violations - participants were deceived, couldn't truly withdraw, and experienced genuine psychological distress. Modern ethics committees would never approve this study.
The ecological validity is questionable too. Real-life obedience rarely involves dramatic electric shocks in university labs. Plus, using only American men limits how we can generalise findings to women or other cultures.
Despite these limitations, Milgram's work remains hugely influential. It demonstrates that situational factors can overpower individual morality, helping explain everything from workplace harassment to military atrocities.
Bottom Line: This study proves that "just following orders" isn't a valid excuse, but it also shows how powerful social pressure can be in making ordinary people do extraordinary terrible things.
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This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
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Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
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Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
Milgram's Obedience Study (1963)
C
Chloe
@chloe_yxlb
Ever wondered why people follow orders even when they know it's wrong? Stanley Milgram's 1963 obedience experiment is one of psychology's most shocking studies, revealing how ordinary people can do terrible things when an authority figure tells them to.
Psychology Being Investigated & Background
You've probably heard about the Holocaust and wondered how so many people could follow such horrific orders. Stanley Milgram, whose Jewish family had fled persecution, was fascinated by this exact question after studying Adolf Eichmann's trial.
Eichmann organised the logistics of the Holocaust but claimed he was just "following orders" - he seemed completely normal, with a regular family life. This challenged the idea that only "evil" people commit terrible acts.
Milgram wanted to test whether destructive obedience (following orders that harm others) was uniquely German or if ordinary Americans would behave similarly. His study explored the situational vs individual debate - do we act badly because of our circumstances or because of our personality?
Key Insight: Social pressure doesn't always involve direct threats - sometimes just the presence of authority is enough to make people obey.
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Methodology & Procedure
Milgram set up a brilliant (if controversial) deception at Yale University. He recruited 40 ordinary American men aged 20-50 through newspaper adverts, paying them $4 each.
Participants thought they were testing how punishment affects learning. They were paired with a "learner" (actually Milgram's assistant) and rigged to always become the "teacher." The teacher had to ask questions and give electric shocks for wrong answers, increasing from 15 to 450 volts.
The learner was strapped to a chair in another room, and participants heard scripted screams and protests through the wall. At 315 volts, the learner went silent. If participants hesitated, the experimenter used four verbal prods: "Please continue," "The experiment requires you to continue," "It is absolutely essential you continue," and "You have no other choice; you must go on."
Reality Check: No real shocks were given - it was all acting and sound effects, but participants genuinely believed they were hurting someone.
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Findings & Results
The results shocked everyone, including Milgram himself. A staggering 65% of participants administered the maximum 450-volt shock - enough to be lethal. Only 12.5% stopped when the learner first protested at 300 volts.
Qualitative observations revealed participants weren't cold-blooded killers. They showed intense stress: sweating, trembling, stuttering, and even digging their fingernails into their flesh. Yet they continued obeying despite their obvious distress.
During debriefing, participants rated the shocks as extremely painful . Most were relieved to meet the unharmed "learner" afterwards, and 74% said they'd learned something valuable about themselves.
The study demolished the idea that Americans were morally superior to Germans - ordinary people everywhere could potentially commit terrible acts under authority pressure.
Disturbing Truth: People can simultaneously feel terrible about their actions yet continue doing them when told to by an authority figure.
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Evaluation & Key Takeaways
Milgram's study has high internal validity thanks to controlled conditions and standardised procedures. The fact that similar results occurred across all 40 participants suggests good reliability.
However, it's heavily criticised for ethical violations - participants were deceived, couldn't truly withdraw, and experienced genuine psychological distress. Modern ethics committees would never approve this study.
The ecological validity is questionable too. Real-life obedience rarely involves dramatic electric shocks in university labs. Plus, using only American men limits how we can generalise findings to women or other cultures.
Despite these limitations, Milgram's work remains hugely influential. It demonstrates that situational factors can overpower individual morality, helping explain everything from workplace harassment to military atrocities.
Bottom Line: This study proves that "just following orders" isn't a valid excuse, but it also shows how powerful social pressure can be in making ordinary people do extraordinary terrible things.
We thought you’d never ask...
What is the Knowunity AI companion?
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
Where can I download the Knowunity app?
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Is Knowunity really free of charge?
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
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Can't find what you're looking for? Explore other subjects.
Students love us — and so will you.
4.9/5
App Store
4.8/5
Google Play
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user