Stanley Milgram made history back in 1961 when he began trials on his now-famous experiment. His decision to test how far a subject would go to electrically shock a stranger for the sake of following orders changed the way we look at the notion of obedience, of authority.
And a recent study published earlier this month in the Journal of Personality is expanding on this idea. The study investigates which "kinds" of people are more willing to obey questionable orders.
To their surprise, researchers found that those described, as "agreeable, conscientious" personalities were more likely to follow orders that could result in others getting hurt.
Contrarily, those described as having "more contrarian, less agreeable personalities," were more likely to refuse orders to hurt others.
The study was conducted over an eight-month period. Researchers interviewed participants to gauge their social personality. They also recorded participants' personal histories and political associations.
Upon matching this data to the participant's behavior during the experiment, a "distinct pattern" emerged: People who were normally "friendly" were more likely to follow orders so as to not upset others. Those described as "unfriendly" were more likely to stick up for themselves and refuse the orders.
Psychology Today's Kenneth Worthy says, "The irony is that a personality disposition normally seen as antisocial - disagreeableness - may actually be linked to 'pro-social' behavior... This connection seems to arise from a willingness to sacrifice one's popularity a bit to act in a moral and just way toward other people, animals or the environment at large."
He added, "Popularity, in the end, may be more a sign of social graces and perhaps a desire to fit in than any kind of moral superiority."
The study also found that people who fell closer to the left side of the political spectrum were less willing to hurt others. Researchers noted, "women who had previously participated in rebellious political activism such as strikes or occupying a factory" were most likely to refuse destructive orders.
Milgram's original experiment was one of many attempts to understand the rise of Nazism. Milgram began his experiments in July of 1961 - just three months after the start of the trial of German Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann. He believed his findings might help explain how seemingly nice people can do horrible things when ordered to do so.
New Study Expands On The Stanley Milgram Experiments : Entertainment : Design & Trend
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Quick! Denounce the science!
And a recent study published earlier this month in the Journal of Personality is expanding on this idea. The study investigates which "kinds" of people are more willing to obey questionable orders.
To their surprise, researchers found that those described, as "agreeable, conscientious" personalities were more likely to follow orders that could result in others getting hurt.
Contrarily, those described as having "more contrarian, less agreeable personalities," were more likely to refuse orders to hurt others.
The study was conducted over an eight-month period. Researchers interviewed participants to gauge their social personality. They also recorded participants' personal histories and political associations.
Upon matching this data to the participant's behavior during the experiment, a "distinct pattern" emerged: People who were normally "friendly" were more likely to follow orders so as to not upset others. Those described as "unfriendly" were more likely to stick up for themselves and refuse the orders.
Psychology Today's Kenneth Worthy says, "The irony is that a personality disposition normally seen as antisocial - disagreeableness - may actually be linked to 'pro-social' behavior... This connection seems to arise from a willingness to sacrifice one's popularity a bit to act in a moral and just way toward other people, animals or the environment at large."
He added, "Popularity, in the end, may be more a sign of social graces and perhaps a desire to fit in than any kind of moral superiority."
The study also found that people who fell closer to the left side of the political spectrum were less willing to hurt others. Researchers noted, "women who had previously participated in rebellious political activism such as strikes or occupying a factory" were most likely to refuse destructive orders.
Milgram's original experiment was one of many attempts to understand the rise of Nazism. Milgram began his experiments in July of 1961 - just three months after the start of the trial of German Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann. He believed his findings might help explain how seemingly nice people can do horrible things when ordered to do so.
New Study Expands On The Stanley Milgram Experiments : Entertainment : Design & Trend
------------
Quick! Denounce the science!
