Stanley Milgram

Stanley Milgram Profile

Milgram experiment v2

Stanley Milgram (August 15, 1933 – December 20, 1984) was an American social psychologist best known for his controversial experiment on obedience to authority figures, conducted in the 1960s during his tenure at Yale University. His work gained widespread attention and has been influential in the development of social psychology, shedding light on the power of authority in shaping human behavior.

Early Life and Education

Stanley Milgram was born in New York City to a family of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. He attended James Monroe High School in the Bronx, where he excelled academically. Milgram went on to earn his bachelor's degree in Political Science from Queens College, New York, before pursuing his Ph.D. in social psychology at Harvard University, where he studied under the guidance of Gordon Allport, a prominent figure in the field of psychology.

The Obedience Experiments

In 1961, Milgram conducted what would become his most famous series of experiments, known as the Milgram obedience experiments. These experiments were designed to measure the willingness of participants to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform acts conflicting with their personal conscience. Participants were led to believe they were administering electric shocks to a "learner" (an actor) for incorrect answers to a set of questions. The experiments revealed that a high proportion of participants would obey the authority figure to the extent of administering seemingly lethal shocks.

Later Work and Contributions

Beyond the obedience studies, Milgram conducted research in other areas of social psychology, including the small-world phenomenon (also known as "six degrees of separation"), urban psychology, and the effects of media. His work on the small-world phenomenon, in particular, demonstrated the interconnectedness of social networks and has been influential in the development of the field of network science.

Impact and Legacy

Milgram's work on obedience has had a lasting impact on psychology, ethics, and beyond. It has been applied to various fields, including education, military, and understanding of historical events, particularly those involving atrocities committed under authoritarian regimes. His experiments have sparked debates on ethical standards in psychological research, leading to more stringent regulations and protections for participants.

Criticism and Controversy

While Milgram's experiments are among the most famous in psychology, they have also been subject to criticism. Ethical concerns have been raised regarding the deception involved and the potential emotional distress caused to participants. Some critics have also questioned the ecological validity of the experiments and the interpretation of the results.

Death and Posthumous Recognition

Stanley Milgram died on December 20, 1984, at the age of 51. Despite his relatively short career, his work continues to be widely cited and discussed within the field of psychology and beyond. Milgram's contributions to understanding human behavior under authority remain a cornerstone of social psychology.