In psychology there are certain studies that are classic. You can't escape an introduction to psychology course without knowing about certain individuals, i.e., Freud, or certain studies such as this one and the Stanford Prison Study (next topic).

Your textbook in the chapter on "Social Psychology" (starting on page 39, Ch 14) discusses Stanley Milgram's famous social psychology experiment, Obedience to Authority.

Here is a video clip that contains some of the original footage of Milgram's experiment.

http://youtu.be/fCVlI-_4GZQ  

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_LKzEqlPto

For this assignment, please answer the following four questions.....

1) What did Milgram find out? 

2) What were the ethical implications (see the APA ethical requirements in the e-Readings "Psychological Science"? 

3) How can Milgram's findings be applied? 

4) Any comments/impressions about this research?

The Stanford Prison Study

This study by Phillip Zimbardo is another classic study that all psychology students should know.

To see Zimbardo explain a little about the experiment watch this trailer:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKW_MzREPp4 (2 min)

However, for some original footage of the experiment itself go to this website  (Class, note that some of this footage is very disturbing, and you do not have to watch this video if it disturbs you.  Instead, read the next article below)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZwfNs1pqG0 (14 minutes)

Forty years later, the participants in the Zimbardo experiment are interviewed and reflect on the experiment:  http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2011/julaug/features/spe.html

Answer the following questions:

What happened?

What did you learn?

Were you surprised at the results of the study?

Was the study ethical?  Should this study have been conducted?

Does Zimbardo's study apply to the Abu Ghraib Prison (answer optional for this one)?