Oh, that's better than I thought.

[gaudior]

So, lots of people know about the Milgrim experiment, wherein people were ordered to shock a confederate to the point of apparently killing him. And we're always shocked to hear that people did it-- it tells us a lot about authority and will and how fascism works.

The thing I didn't know was the percentage that refused. While it's true that the majority went on and shocked the person apparently to death-- it's not that big a majority.

35% of people wouldn't do it. When the experiment was repeated (in a kinder and gentler and less traumatic fashion) in 2006 by Burger, that number was 30% and 36% in two different conditions.

A third of people wouldn't do it.

So... be part of that third. And show other people that they can do it, too.

--R

Comments

[teenybuffalo.livejournal.com]

Learning about the experiment a year ago for a psychology examination was a horrible time. For some days, I brooded about what I would have done, knowing that I hate to cause anyone pain, yet I have a tendency to do what I'm told in order to please people. I'm glad that so large a percentage refused. Perhaps knowing about such things helps one to make the right choice in reality.