Psychology / Unit 11 Psych 1222 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The "Obedience Requires Cruel People" Error
Captions available
The idea
It is an error to conclude that Milgram's obedient participants were unusually cruel or unusually compliant individuals.
In practice
Participants showed visible distress throughout, protested repeatedly, and continued anyway.
Where people slip
The finding is about the situation's power over ordinary people. Reading it as a claim about bad individuals inverts it.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
Unlocks
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it · Sources for Psychology