The Milgram experiment and its modern replication by Burger (2009) represent landmark studies in understanding human obedience to authority.
In 1963, Stanley Milgram (1963) conducted his famous obedience experiments at Yale University to understand why people follow destructive orders. Participants were instructed to deliver increasingly powerful electric shocks to a "learner" (actually an actor) when they made mistakes in a memory test. Despite hearing cries of pain, about 65% of participants continued to the maximum 450-volt level when pressured by the experimenter. The Milgram experiment procedure revealed how ordinary people could engage in harmful acts when directed by an authority figure, helping explain events like the Holocaust. However, the study raised serious Milgram experiment ethical issues regarding participant deception and psychological harm.
Forty-six years later, Jerry Burger 2009 Replicating Milgram conducted a modified version addressing ethical concerns while maintaining key elements. The Burger experiment 2009 used enhanced screening procedures, stopped at 150 volts instead of 450, and included additional safeguards for participants' wellbeing. Despite these changes, Burger (2009 findings) showed remarkably similar obedience rates to Milgram's original study - around 70% of participants continued to administer shocks when prompted. The Similarities and differences between Burger and Milgram demonstrated the robust nature of obedience to authority, even in modern times with greater awareness of research ethics. Both studies provided crucial insights into human behavior under authority, though Burger's replication proved these findings could be obtained more ethically. The Burger (2009 issues and debates) sparked renewed discussion about the balance between scientific knowledge and participant protection in psychological research.
