Stanley Milgram’s Obedience Studies: An Ethical and Methodological Assessment

Abstract

With the opening of Milgram’s personal archive, from the mid-1990s there has been a “second wave” of literature on the Obedience Studies. Some of this literature convincingly suggests Milgram’s research is so ethically and methodologically problematic that it does not deserve the enormous attention it receives. At the other end of the spectrum, some scholars argue there is still much to be learnt from these experiments. With such divergent (contradictory?) views, what is one to believe? After reviewing this literature, this article addresses two questions: are the Obedience Studies unethical and do they remain methodologically valid? This article concludes that although the Obedience Studies are, for many reasons, highly unethical, they remain methodologically valid. It also concludes that it is because of Milgram’s unethical practices that his research remains so relevant to the world beyond his laboratory walls.