An evaluation of the Milgram experiment provides an adequate, psychological explanation for the Holocaust, but does not justify the horrific crimes. Inspired by the horrors of the Holocaust, Milgram conducted an experiment to determine whether or not ordinary people would obey a stranger, even if it meant harming someone else (De Vos 223). The methodology of the experiment was very simple. Participants were told that they were aiding an experiment on learning theories and the role of punishment on memory (Cherry). Then, the participant and a confederate were chosen for the roles of “teacher” and “learner” in a rigged drawing so that the participant would always be the teacher (De Vos 229). The learner was then taken to a room and had an electrical “shocking machine” attached to him or
An evaluation of the Milgram experiment provides an adequate, psychological explanation for the Holocaust, but does not justify the horrific crimes. Inspired by the horrors of the Holocaust, Milgram conducted an experiment to determine whether or not ordinary people would obey a stranger, even if it meant harming someone else (De Vos 223). The methodology of the experiment was very simple. Participants were told that they were aiding an experiment on learning theories and the role of punishment on memory (Cherry). Then, the participant and a confederate were chosen for the roles of “teacher” and “learner” in a rigged drawing so that the participant would always be the teacher (De Vos 229). The learner was then taken to a room and had an electrical “shocking machine” attached to him or