description Stanley Milgram Overview
Stanley Milgram (1933–1984) was an American social psychologist whose 1960s obedience experiments at Yale demonstrated that ordinary people would administer apparently dangerous electric shocks under authority pressure.
help Stanley Milgram FAQ
What were participants told to do in Milgram's obedience experiment?
Participants were assigned the role of teacher and instructed to administer increasingly severe electric shocks when a learner answered incorrectly. The learner was actually an actor, and no real shocks were delivered.
How far did participants go on Milgram's shock generator?
In Milgram's best-known baseline condition, 65 percent continued to the maximum switch marked 450 volts. Every participant reached at least 300 volts before refusing or continuing.
Where and when did Milgram conduct the obedience studies?
The experiments began at Yale University in the early 1960s. Milgram published the influential article Behavioral Study of Obedience in 1963 and later expanded the work in his 1974 book Obedience to Authority.
Why are Milgram's experiments considered ethically controversial?
Participants were deceived about the shocks and placed under intense emotional pressure by prompts from the experimenter. The studies became central to debates about informed consent, deception, withdrawal, and protection from psychological harm.
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