Question of human behavior?

Question

Today in my Psycology class, we talked about the percentage of people willing to deliver a fatal electric shock to someone else, if someone told them to do it..

So here's my question, If I were standing over you, and you had the button to shock a random person in the next room...I told you to do it for experementational purposes, would you press the button?

Answer 1

I know this experiment.  There are too many people who might do it but I am not one of them.  My question would be: how much pain would you take before dropping the button, because I know what a FULL shock is and I know I can take it more times than you would have the chance to give it!  

Now, I am not a violent person - I don't hurt anyone that doesn't get in my way!

Answer 2

I watched a video in my psychology class my senior year in high school and I remember talking about it with my class and such.  I think that if I came across this question last year, I would have said yes I would shock them, but since I have seen it and know what it is all about, no I would not shock them.

If someone was threatening me into doing it I still wouldn't do it, I would rather be shocked then to shock another and fall into the category the other people fell into.  

I think it would be fun to be shocked, I bet it is one heck of a rush:D lol

Answer 3

The answer is no, both times.  It is not a question of human behavior alone but of morality, right and wrong.

Answer 4

Hmm, human behavior can be very interesting..

-scratches chin in deep thought-

Judging on my wanting good for others, I'd say I'd let you give me the fatal shock instead of hurting the other person. I'd die soon anyway. I'm pretty sure that's what I'd do. In the actual situation impulses can take the better of someone.. but yes, that's what I'd do. Extreme circumstances call for extreme measures. :)  

Answer 5

Well, the Milgram experiment was mainly to test the amount of people who believe anything that people of dominance had over them, like cops, or scientists.

No, I would not do something so corrupt if I had my own stance upon it.

Answer 6

That is a very, very old experiment. It's completely unethical now. I found an excellent novel written about it though. The author is from Alberta, Canada and unfortunately I can't remember her name. She (the character) was working in a psych lab under a professor who was conducting a similar experiment. He would pay homeless people to come in and he pretended they were part of this study. Of course, there wasn't supposed to be any electrical shock, BUT there was. This kooky shrink was trying to kill off all the homeless people in the city. His first assistant mysteriously fell to her death from the third floor of the building. His second assistant was beginning to wonder...

Excellent story.  

In response to your question, my answer is definitely not.

Answer 7

well...I would do it without you asking me...since I'm such an evil b*****d...

Answer 8

Of course most people will say no, even though the Milgram experiments showed that their behavior was different. This is called social desirability.

It is surprising what people will do when they are told to do so by someone else.