Yale University Milgram Experiment

The Milgram Experiment, conducted in the 1960s at Yale University by psychologist Stanley Milgram, investigated obedience to authority. Participants believed they were part of a study on learning and memory. They were instructed to administer electric shocks to a "learner" (an actor) for incorrect answers, with shocks increasing in intensity. Despite the learner's apparent distress, many participants continued to administer shocks when prompted by an authority figure. The experiment revealed the lengths to which individuals would go in obeying authority, raising ethical concerns about psychological experiments and highlighting the tension between personal conscience and authority.