Book Author: Lauren Slater CHAPTER 2: Obscura
Discussion
Lauren Slater relates Milgram's controversial experiments in this chapter. His experiments were devised to gage obedience to authority figures. In it a subject was given the title teacher, and the other, learner. The participants drew slips of paper to know their roles. Unknown to them, both slips said "teacher", and the actor claimed to have the slip that read "learner", thus guaranteeing that the participant would always be the "teacher". At this point, the "teacher" and "learner" were separated into different rooms where they could communicate but not see each other. The "teacher" was given an electric shock from the electro-shock generator as a sample of the shock that the "learner" would supposedly receive during the experiment. The "teacher" was then given a list of word pairs which he was to teach the learner. The teacher began by reading the list of word pairs to the learner. The learner would press a button to indicate his response. If the answer was incorrect, the teacher would administer a shock to the learner, with the voltage increasing in 15-volt increments for each wrong answer. If correct, the teacher would read the next word pair.
Lauren Slater relates Milgram's controversial experiments in this chapter. His experiments were devised to gage obedience to authority figures. In it a subject was given the title teacher, and the other, learner. The participants drew slips of paper to know their roles. Unknown to them, both slips said "teacher", and the actor claimed to have the slip that read "learner", thus guaranteeing that the participant would always be the "teacher". At this point, the "teacher" and "learner" were separated into different rooms where they could communicate but not see each other. The "teacher" was given an electric shock from the electro-shock generator as a sample of the shock that the "learner" would supposedly receive during the experiment. The "teacher" was then given a list of word pairs which he was to teach the learner. The teacher began by reading the list of word pairs to the learner. The learner would press a button to indicate his response. If the answer was incorrect, the teacher would administer a shock to the learner, with the voltage increasing in 15-volt increments for each wrong answer. If correct, the teacher would read the next word pair.
The subjects believed that for each wrong answer, the learner was receiving actual shocks. In reality, there were no shocks. After a number of voltage level increases, the actor started to bang on the wall that separated him from the subject. After several times banging on the wall and complaining, all responses by the learner would cease. At this point, many people indicated their desire to stop the experiment and check on the learner. Some test subjects paused at 135 volts and began to question the purpose of the experiment. Most continued after being assured that they would not be held responsible.
Summary
I had heard of this experiment in my psychology class, but not the way Slater relates it. It was interesting reading about this story, because it gives a context, as opposed to in a psychology class, where the experiments are only mentioned. I still disagree with the experiments, though for someone to think about that experiment at 27 years of age is quite brilliant.
Summary
I had heard of this experiment in my psychology class, but not the way Slater relates it. It was interesting reading about this story, because it gives a context, as opposed to in a psychology class, where the experiments are only mentioned. I still disagree with the experiments, though for someone to think about that experiment at 27 years of age is quite brilliant.
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