In the most
precise sense, this argument is virtually meaningless since this experiment can
NEVER be done in current society. I strongly concur with Baumrind regarding the
flaws and problematic elements of this experiment. The degree of gravity of
this problem is especially grand because it is a psychological experiment.
Personally, I think there are two
main issues with this experiment. Firstly, as Baumrind suggested, environmental
variables were not well controlled. Engaging in an experiment as a subject
provides a lot more pressure to act more obediently compared to executing daily
routine under a leader – in this case, Hitler. Also, the subject’s viewpoint
toward his/her victim was a complete antithesis to that of people in Hitler
Germany. Thus this experiment lacks the external validity. Secondly,
psychological experiments, unlike medical experiments, are unable to reveal the
mechanisms behind the observed phenomena. This further more decreases the
legitimacy of Milgram’s overly cruel experiment setting, given that it cannot
even show “Why people obey?”
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