Milgram Experiment Unethical

Throughout our nation's history, we have taken part in many unethical means of gaining information or knowledge. Some of the more famous cases include, The Milgram Obedience and Authority experiment, The Stanford Prison experiment, and of course the Abu Ghraib scandal involving our own U.S. soldiers. While two of these instances were not intended to cause physical harm, they were all branded unethical due to the extent of not only the physical abuses that took place, but the painful psychological impact it left on those involved.
One experiment, called The Milgram experiment, also raised ethical concern. The experiment consisted of 40 men recruited using newspaper ads. The participants were paid $4.50 for their involvement in the study. Milgram
An investigation into the treatment of detainees at the prison was issued when photo were discovered of guards abusing detainees in 2003. The human rights violations included: physical and sexual abuse, torture, rape, sodomy, and murder. Many of the torture techniques used were developed at the Guantánamo detention center including prolonged isolation, a sleep deprivation technique where people were moved from cell to cell every few hours, short-shackling in painful positions; nudity; extreme use of heat and cold; the use of loud music and noise and preying on phobias. "Punching, slapping, and kicking detainees; jumping on their naked feet...positioning a naked detainee on a MRE box, with a sandbag on his head, and attaching wires to his fingers, toes, and penis to simulate electric torture...having sex with female detainees...using military working dogs (without muzzles) to intimidate and frighten detainees, and in at least one case biting and severely injuring a detainee...breaking chemical lights and pouring the phosphoric liquid on detainees...Beating detainees with a broom handle and a chair...Sodomizing a detainee with a chemical light and perhaps a broom stick" (qtd. in Behrens and Rosen 665-6). Eleven US soldiers were convicted of crimes relating to the Abu Ghraib scandal. A number of other service members were not charged but reprimanded. Shockingly enough, despite the level of
Known as the Stanford Prison Experiment, the study went on to become one of the best-known in psychology's history. Zimbardo, a former classmate of Stanley Milgram (who is best-known for his famous obedience experiment), was interested in expanding on Milgram's research. "Suppose you had only kids who were normally healthy, psychologically and physically, and they knew they would be going into a prison-like environment and that some of their civil rights would be sacrificed. Would those good people, put in that bad, evil place—would their goodness triumph?" said Zimbardo in one interview. The researchers set up a mock prison in the basement of Stanford University's psychology building. The participants were chosen from a group of 70 volunteers because they had no criminal background, lacked psychological issues, and had no significant medical conditions. The volunteers agreed to participate during a one to two-week period in exchange for $15 a day.
While the Stanford Prison Experiment was originally expected to last 14 days, it had to be stopped after just six due to what was happening to the student participants. The guards became abusive, and the prisoners began to show signs of extreme stress and anxiety. While the prisoners and guards were allowed to interact in any way they wanted, the interactions were hostile or even dehumanizing.