In a groundbreaking experiment over 50 years ago, psychologist Stanley Milgram sought to determine the difference between free will and obedience. The study made headlines worldwide and revealed that adults have an extreme willingness to follow authority. Milgram’s work, published in 1964, remains a classic experiment in psychology and sheds light on why many people were willing to participate in the torture and death of others during the Third Reich. Despite ethical and methodological criticisms, the experiment has inspired further research into the topic. The latest study, conducted by a Belgian-British team led by Patrick Haggard, explores the difference between a voluntary decision to harm someone and the execution of a command.
Haggard and his colleagues focused on defendants who testified during the Nuremberg Trials that they were only following orders. The researchers questioned whether these individuals were simply trying to avoid responsibility or if there was more to their behavior. The study used the concept of autonomy perception as an indirect measure. When a person causes something positive, such as turning on a light switch, they are consciously aware of their autonomy perception. However, negative actions that cause disgust or pain are perceived differently and seem to have no connection to the person’s active behavior. The study, published in Current Biology, involved two participants. The first was given money if they spared the other participant and even more money if they electrocuted them. The decision was confirmed by pressing a button, and the first participant had to estimate the time between the decision and the confirmation tone. In a second experiment, the first participant was given a clear command and estimated a longer time between the command and the tone. The authors suggest that this is due to a reduced autonomy perception. The study is not intended to justify such defense tactics, and each perpetrator is responsible for their own actions.
The Milgram experiment remains a controversial topic in psychology, and the latest study sheds new light on the difference between free will and obedience. The study’s findings suggest that individuals who follow orders may have a reduced sense of autonomy perception, which could explain their willingness to harm others. While the study does not condone such behavior, it highlights the importance of understanding the psychological factors that contribute to obedience and the need for further research in this area.
