Milgram's experiment raised several important questions regarding researchers' responsibilities toward participants. Laws today protect research
... [Show More] participants in several ways from unnecessary distress. What was the harmful aspect of Milgram's study?
The intense stress experience by participants might have had lasting consequences.
Explanation to Question 1
Researchers must sometimes make participants feel uncomfortable during an experiment or study. The important questions to ask are whether their experiences will have lasting effects and whether they can be justified by the knowledge gained in the study. These days, review boards scrutinize research proposals to ensure that participants are protected. If such an experiment were proposed today, there would likely be numerous changes to methodology to prevent the extreme stress responses shown by the participants.
Today, for an experiment to be approved, the potential benefits of the research much exceed the potential risks to participants. This is especially pertinent for experiments that involve deception, due to an increased possibility that participants may be harmed. Milgram used several forms of deception in his study. Which of them had the greatest potential to cause harm?
Making participants believe the shocks were real
Explanation to Question 2
The use of deception can be justified as long as it meets two important criteria: First, it can only be used when disguising the researcher's true intentions is absolutely necessary. For example, a psychologist studying how the race of a defendant affects jury decisions might be worried that participants' responses will be biased if they know the true nature of the research. Second, it cannot cause lasting harm to the participants. There are limits on the type of deception that can be used and the degree of emotional distress it can cause. As evident by the extreme stress reaction participants suffered as a direct result of their belief that the shocks were real, Milgram's experiment violated this criterion. There is a genuine argument over whether the benefits of this study, an increased knowledge of human obedience, outweigh the negative experiences of the participants.
Milgram's experiment has been denounced repeatedly by ethicists, commentators, and fellow psychologists. At the same time, the results surprised many experts within the field by showing what ordinary people are capable of doing to one another. What result was likely the most surprising?
Sixty-five percent of participants delivered the full range of shocks, going up to 450 volts.
Explanation to Question 3
Milgram's study demonstrated that a large number of ordinary people can be directed to inflict extreme harm onto others, something that few would have predicted beforehand. A panel of various individuals predicted that only 4% of participants would even reach the 300-volt level. In reality, every participant reached 300 volts and 65% continued up to 450 volts. Milgram showed the lengths at which people were willing to obey an authority figure, despite their personal or moral beliefs. Nevertheless, controversy still surrounds the experiment, as people continue to debate whether its findings justify the stress and deception that participants experienced. [Show Less]