the Yale study of obedience

The Yale study of obedience, conducted by psychologist Stanley Milgram in the 1960s, explored how ordinary people might commit harmful actions when instructed by an authority figure. Participants believed they were administering electric shocks to a learner as part of a learning experiment. Despite hearing protests and apparent pain, many continued to obey the experimenter's commands, illustrating how authority can influence individuals to act against their personal morals. The study revealed the powerful impact of situational factors and authority on human behavior, highlighting the potential for ordinary people to commit troubling acts under certain conditions.