The Milgram Experiment

Many people believe human beings should not be used as test subjects in experiments. The use of human beings for experiments or research can have lasting negative effects on that individual such as emotional and psychological damage. The Milgram experiment even though it was a hoax had a lasting effects on many of it’s participants in both positive and negative ways and is a example of why humans should not be used as test subjects. The Milgram experiment was conducted by Stanley Milgram a assistant professor of psychology at Yale. The experiment wanted to show the obedience in people to the authority in others by creating a fake “shocking machine“. Lauren Slater quotes in the book Opening Skinners Box “In Milgrams view, any especially persuasive
The results showed that “sixty-two to sixty-five percent of us when faced with a credible authority, will follow orders to the point of lethally harming a person.” (Slater, Opening Skinners Box, pg.39) In other words, a man with a white coat told the participants no permanent damage would be caused to the muscles and that the experiment must go on so that then makes it ok to continue shocking someone against their will? What the man doesn’t tell you is that there is the chance a participant could suffer psychological damage or effects in the long term. People continued on to the end not even thinking about the four hundred fifty volts they just sent through another person. Years later participants were contacted for interviews about their participation in the Milgram experiment. One participant Jacob, agreed to the interview, but only on the condition of one hundred percent anonymity. He was one of the participants who was obedient to the end of
After breaking up with the roommate Jacob suffering from depression saw the ad for the experiment. The ad read “We Will Pay You $4.00 for One Hour of Your Time. Persons Needed for a Study of Memory.” (Slater, Opening Skinners Box, pg.32) so Jacob decided to answer. Jacob was repeatedly told the same thing as everyone else which was he would not cause any permanent damage but to continue on so he did. At the end of the experiment Jacob was debriefed, but it was too late. “Really debrief a subject an experiment like that. You’ve given shocks. You thought you were really giving shocks, and nothing can take away from you the knowledge of how you acted. There’s no turning back now.” (Slater, Opening Skinners Box, pg.59) The damage has already been done, you cannot undo what just happened. That is a image you will forever have in your memory and will hear those screams in your sleep. Although Jacob did have a negative lasting effect he was also helped by the Milgram experiment. The experiment helped Jacob to see that by keeping his homosexuality a secret he was succumbing to another form of compliance. Jacob decided to come out of the closet and in doing so, was able to work on developing a stronger moral core. Many people find after participating in obedience experiments like Milgram’s that they look at how they are living their lives and begin to make changes to the way they respond to